Iran Sentences Singer Parastoo Ahmadi To 74 Lashes After Viral Performance Without Hijab

Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has reportedly been sentenced to 74 lashes for performing in an online concert without wearing a hijab, in defiance of the country's Islamic dress code.

The 29-year-old artist and eight members of her production team have also been handed two-year bans on travelling abroad and engaging in artistic activities, according to Guardian report.

Concert sparked legal action

The ruling is in reference to a December 2024 performance of the patriotic song Az Khoone Javanane Vatan (From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland), which was streamed on Ahmadi's YouTube channel and later gained millions of views.

What was she wearing?

In the concert, the singer wore no headscarf and appeared bare-shouldered in a long, flowing black dress.

The artists were accused of offending public decency by creating and sharing content that was considered “vulgar and immoral”. The ruling has not yet been officially published by Iran's judiciary news agency.

Restrictions on women performers

Under rules imposed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women must cover their hair in public and are also not allowed to sing alone in public.