Iran Punishes Singer Parastoo Ahmadi with 74 Lashes for Performing Without a Veil on YouTube

An Iranian court has sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi, 29, to 74 lashes and a two-year ban on artistic work and international travel. Eight members of her team received the same punishment. The charges stem from a December 11, 2024, concert streamed live on YouTube from the historic Deir Gachin caravanserai in Qom.

Authorities deemed the performance, which featured Ahmadi singing without a hijab and accompanied by musicians, a violation of public morality and the strict dress code for women. The concert, though without a live audience, gained significant attention both inside and outside Iran. Ahmadi performed in Persian and Mazandarani, wearing a sleeveless black dress that exposed her shoulders, directly challenging the Islamic Republic's regulations.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned the sentence, calling flogging a cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment incompatible with international human rights standards. The ruling comes amid a sensitive political climate, though a recent preliminary agreement between Iran and the United States did not address the human rights situation or political prisoners in Iran.