Iran sentences singer Parastoo Ahmadi, eight others to lashings over performance without hijab

An Iranian singer, Parastoo Ahmadi, along with eight other artists and production team members, has been sentenced to 74 lashes each by the Qom Province's criminal courts. The group was found guilty of offending "public decency through the production and publication of obscene and immoral content on cyberspace platforms" after their performance was broadcast on YouTube in December 2025. They also face a two-year travel ban and a similar restriction on all artistic activities.

The artists were prosecuted under articles of the Islamic Penal Code, including Article 638, which criminalizes acts offending public decency like appearing without a hijab, and Article 743 of the Computer Crimes Law, which targets the promotion of corruption or acts deemed offensive to public morality via digital networks. Ahmadi's performance notably included her singing without a hijab, an act that carries severe penalties, as women are also forbidden from singing to mixed-gender audiences.

However, the legal organization Dadban reported that lawyer Mohammad Hadi Jafarpour asserted that Iranian law does not criminalize women singing and that the penal code interpretations used in this case are baseless. This legal argument challenges the judiciary's application of the law.

Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih Alinejad responded critically to the verdict, stating, "They call America the Great Satan. And then they flew to the table and signed a deal with the «Devil«. But a woman’s voice scared them more than any superpower ever could. A regime that whips women for showing their hair and singing, there’s not a normal government. This is called apartheid against women."

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They call America the Great Satan. And then they flew to the table and signed a deal with the «Devil«. But a woman’s voice scared them more than any superpower ever could. A regime that whips women for showing their hair and singing, there’s not a normal government. This is called apartheid against women.