An appeals court in Iran has upheld a sentence of 74 lashes for singer Parastoo Ahmadi, who performed without the mandatory hijab. Ahmadi's concert, livestreamed on her YouTube channel in December 2024, featured her wearing a sleeveless dress, which is against Iranian laws that prohibit public performances by women without headscarves and modest clothing. Following the video's viral success, the judiciary initiated proceedings against Ahmadi, stating the performance violated the country's legal and cultural regulations.
In June, a criminal court in Qom found Ahmadi and eight members of her band guilty of charges including 'offending public decency' through the dissemination of 'obscene and indecent material.' Along with the lashes, they received a two-year ban from audiovisual activities and from leaving the country. On Friday, the higher court rejected their appeal without a hearing, according to their lawyers.
One lawyer stated, 'In our view, holding the concert was not a crime at all,' and criticized the trial court for imposing a severe punishment despite the availability of lesser penalties. The appeal court's decision appears aimed at deterring similar events in the future.
The initial sentence drew significant backlash on social media in Iran. Exiled singer Googoosh expressed hope for an end to such restrictions, stating, 'May these dark days come to an end, and may women regain the freedom to choose how they live and dress.' Musician Hossein Alizadeh expressed solidarity, stating he would take lashes in Ahmadi's place.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, condemned the sentence, labeling flogging as cruel and a violation of human rights. The case follows a similar incident in January 2024, when Kurdish-Iranian activist Roya Heshmati was flogged for a social media photo without a hijab.
Under Iranian law, women and girls above puberty are required to wear a hijab and modest clothing. Protests erupted in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after being detained for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. The protests saw women publicly defy the dress code, leading to a crackdown by authorities.
Gholamali Haddad-Adel, a conservative politician, noted that Iran's ongoing conflict with the US and Israel limits the government's ability to enforce hijab laws effectively. This conflict escalated following a wave of protests against the economic crisis, which resulted in numerous fatalities due to security force actions.