Iranian authorities have arrested 27-year-old singer Parastu Ahmadi, who performed in an online concert on YouTube without wearing a hijab.
In the video YouTubeThe video, which featured Ahmadi in a long black sleeveless dress with four male musicians, has received more than 1.4 million views. In her post, Ahmadi declared: “I am Parastu, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I cannot ignore; singing for the land I love so passionately.”
According to Iranian lawyer Milad Panahipour, Ahmadi was detained in Sari, the capital of Mazandaran province, on Saturday, two days after posting his protest online. “Unfortunately, we do not know the charges against Ms. Ahmadi, who arrested her or detained her, but we will follow up on the matter through legal authorities,” the lawyer was quoted as saying by the news agency. Associated Press (AP).
Panahipur also confirmed that two members of the Ahmadi band, Sohil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beragdar, were arrested in Tehran on the same day.
He expressed concern about the growing crackdown on women’s freedoms in Iran, highlighting Ahmadi’s case as an example of rising tensions between authorities and those defying the sanctions.
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 Iranian law prohibits women from singing Appearing without a hijab in front of mixed-gender audiences in the presence of single or unrelated men. Only women can perform to an all-female audience or as part of a chorus. The hijab has become both a religious requirement and a political symbol, mandated for years after the revolution.
Protests erupted across Iran in 2022 following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained by morality police for not wearing a hijab. Although the enforcement of the dress code was briefly relaxed, authorities have recently adopted a stricter tone.
– with input from AP
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