TEHRAN: Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has been sentenced to 74 lashes after an appeals court upheld her punishment over a hijab-free performance streamed online in December 2024, her lawyers said Friday.
The 29-year-old singer performed in a sleeveless dress during the livestreamed concert, which went viral and attracted millions of views. Iranian authorities later opened proceedings, saying the performance violated the country’s legal and cultural regulations.
A criminal court in Qom reportedly convicted Ahmadi and eight members of her band and production team in June on charges including “offending public decency” through the publication of what authorities described as “obscene and indecent material.”
In addition to the 74 lashes, the defendants were reportedly banned from audiovisual activities and prohibited from leaving Iran for two years.
Ahmadi’s lawyers said the appeals court rejected their challenge without holding a hearing and upheld the original sentence.
“In our view, holding the concert was not a crime at all,” one of her lawyers told the BBC, arguing that the trial court imposed one of the harshest penalties available for the charges.
The lawyer also said the appeals court had the option of holding a hearing but instead upheld the ruling, which he suggested was intended to discourage similar performances.
The sentence has sparked criticism from Iranian artists and human rights groups.
Exiled singer Googoosh previously called for an end to restrictions on women’s choices over how they live and dress, while musician Hossein Alizadeh said he was willing to take the lashes in Ahmadi’s place.
Amnesty International also condemned the punishment, saying flogging constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and violates the prohibition on torture.
Under Iranian law, women and girls above the age of puberty are required to cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothing in public.
Enforcement of the dress code has remained a major point of tension since nationwide protests erupted in 2022 following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. Amini had been detained by morality police over allegations that she was improperly wearing her hijab.
The protests saw many Iranian women remove their headscarves in public, challenging the mandatory dress code. Authorities responded with arrests, warnings, business closures and other enforcement measures.
Ahmadi’s case follows that of Kurdish-Iranian activist Roya Heshmati, who said she was flogged 74 times in January 2024 after being convicted of violating public morals over a social media photograph showing her without a hijab.
The latest ruling has renewed attention on Iran’s restrictions on women’s dress and public artistic performances, as authorities continue to enforce laws governing hijab and public conduct.
