Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi sentenced to 74 lashes

Iran’s renowned singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight of her collaborators have reportedly faced harsh punishments after an online music performance they allegedly broadcast in 2024.

An Iranian court has sentenced the singer and members of her production team to 74 lashes, a two-year ban on traveling abroad, and a two-year ban on participating in artistic activities.

The action reportedly followed a live concert in which 29-year-old Parastoo Ahmadi performed the patriotic song “Az Khone Jawaan Vatan” without a hijab during a performance broadcast on YouTube in December 2024. The video quickly went viral on social media.

The singer and several musicians were reportedly briefly detained shortly after the video was broadcast, but were later released.

Human rights activists and lawyers say the artists have been charged with producing and publishing “content against public morality.”

Bahar Kandahari, a representative of the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, said that the punishment of 74 lashes for simply singing and appearing in public without a hijab raises serious questions about the human rights situation.

Several artists, including Iranian-born British actress Nazanin Badini and exiled Iranian actress Sitara Maliki, have also spoken out in support of Parasto Ahmadi.

Sitara Maliki said that Parasto Ahmadi’s performance gave her a new sense of resistance and hope and proved that Iranian women continue to fight for their rights and freedom.