A criminal court in Qom province, Iran, sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi and 8 members of her team to 74 lashes for a performance broadcast on YouTube in 2024, according to human rights activists and lawyers who had access to the decision. The information is from the British newspaper Guardian.
In the recording, Ahmadi sings without the hijab – an Islamic veil that covers the hair – and wears clothing that leaves her shoulders exposed. The video, titled “Caravanserai Concert”was published in December 2024 and had millions of views.
According to the documents analyzed, the artists were convicted of producing and disseminating content “vulgar and immoral” that would offend public decency.
The sentence also prohibits Ahmadi and the other convicts from leaving Iran and engaging in artistic activities for 2 years.
The decision had not yet been published by the official news agency of the Iranian Judiciary until the case was released.
Human rights organizations classify the application of lashes as a form of torture and degrading treatment. According to these entities, punishment is used against activists, artists, political prisoners and members of minorities.
In the video, Ahmadi states: “I’m Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people she loves. That’s a right I couldn’t ignore: to sing for the land I love passionately”.
The 29-year-old singer performed the patriotic song “Az Khoon-e Javanan-e Vatan” (“From the blood of the country’s young people”). She was detained with musicians from the band shortly after the video was published and later released.
In Iran, women face restrictions on singing alone in front of mixed audiences and are forced to wear the hijab in public spaces. Human rights lawyers claim, however, that singing and producing musical works are not, in themselves, crimes covered by the country’s criminal legislation.
