Iranian singer was whipped 74 times for not wearing hijab during live performance, know who is Parastu Ahmadi?

Read Desk. Iranian singer Parasto Ahmadi has been flogged 74 times for not covering her head during a concert and publishing ‘obscene and immoral material’ on YouTube. With this, the singer has been banned for two years from leaving the country and indulging in artistic activities.

Let us tell you that since immediately after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, all women in Iran have been required to cover their head and neck.

According to Bahar Ghandehri of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, the flogging sentences highlight what rights groups see as an attempt by Iranian authorities to stifle cultural dissent and silence independent artistic voices.

“Ahmadi’s sentence of 74 lashes merely for singing and appearing without a hijab is another reminder that the human rights situation in Iran has seen little to no change, despite Iranian authorities launching a publicity campaign aimed at improving her image,” Ghandehari told The Guardian.

‘Apartheid against women’

Journalist Masih Alinejad said in a post on X that the Iranian government sees a woman’s voice as a bigger threat than any global superpower. “A regime that flogs women for showing their hair and singing is not a normal government. This is called apartheid against women,” she wrote.

Parasto Ahmadi and the other musicians named in the case have not yet publicly commented on the flogging sentence or ban. The Iranian government’s enforcement of its strict modesty rules has sparked widespread outrage on social media.

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Another user questioned how singing could be considered a criminal offense in the 21st century, writing, “In what world is singing a crime punishable by 74 lashes?” Meanwhile, an X user described the Islamic Republic of Iran as “the enemy of women, music, joy and life”. iran

Who is Parastu Ahmadi?

Iranian singer and composer ParastuAhmadi rose to international prominence after openly challenging the restrictions imposed on female artists in the country.

He attracted global attention in December 2024 when he held an “imaginary concert” in a historic caravanserai in Iran. During the performance, Ahmadi appeared without a head covering and wore a sleeveless black dress while livestreaming the event on YouTube.

The concert quickly gained popularity online and was widely shared by supporters of the Women, Life, Freedom movement, which emerged following the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody in 2022.

The sentence imposed on Ahmadi has been criticized by activists and public figures. Moeen Khazali, a human rights lawyer at Dadaban, a legal advisory group supporting Iranian activists, argued that the sentence had no legal basis.

Khazeli said, “Singing, performing music, and creating or disseminating musical works by women is not a crime under Iranian criminal law. As a result, such activities cannot appropriately be considered ‘production, distribution, or publication of obscene material.’

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