By Opeyemi Adelakun
Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight members of her production team have reportedly been sentenced to 74 lashes, alongside a two-year travel ban and a two-year restriction from artistic activities, following a livestreamed performance in which she appeared without a hijab.
According to court documents cited by rights groups and legal advocates, the ruling was issued by a criminal court in Iran’s Qom Province on charges relating to the production and publication of content deemed to offend public decency, described by authorities as “vulgar and immoral.”
The case stems from a December 2024 YouTube livestream in which the 29-year-old performed the patriotic song Az Khoone Javanane Vatan (From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland) without wearing the mandatory hijab.
The performance quickly gained widespread attention online, attracting millions of views and sparking global debate over artistic freedom, women’s rights, and state censorship in Iran.
Shortly after the broadcast, Ahmadi and several members of her team were reportedly detained before being released, with authorities later filing formal charges over the performance.
Although Iranian authorities have not officially published the judgment, human rights organisations and legal experts say the ruling reflects a broader pattern of legal action against artists who challenge the country’s strict social and cultural regulations.
Human rights advocates have strongly condemned the sentence, describing it as part of ongoing repression of artistic expression in Iran.
A director at the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, Bahar Ghandehari, said the punishment underscores the persistence of human rights violations in the country.
Similarly, legal experts have questioned the legal justification for the ruling, arguing that singing and music production by women are not explicitly criminalised under Iranian law.
They further noted that corporal punishment such as flogging raises serious concerns under international human rights standards and obligations.
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