An Iranian court has upheld a sentence ordering popular singer Parastoo Ahmadi to receive 74 lashes for performing without a hijab, a ruling that has drawn condemnation from human rights organizations calling the punishment a form of torture. The decision relates to a concert streamed online in 2024, featuring Ahmadi, 29, and eight members of her production team, which authorities deemed in violation of Iran’s legal and cultural norms.
The court in the central city of Qom ruled that the performance was “obscene and vulgar” under the country’s “hijab and chastity” law enacted in 2024 but not yet fully enforced. The legislation prescribes harsh penalties, including flogging, fines, and prison terms of five to 15 years for repeat offenders, against women accused of “promoting nudity, indecency, unveiling or improper dressing.”
Lawyers and rights advocates say the ruling was anticipated amid a broader crackdown on public dress code violations. Last week, the head of the Iranian judiciary emphasized that authorities should not fear public outcry over stricter enforcement of hijab laws. Ahmadi and her team are expected to receive the flogging sentence within the next three months.
Roya Borumand, co-founder of the Abdorrahman Borumand Center for Human Rights, characterized the concert as an act of defiance, noting that Ahmadi not only appeared unveiled but also performed pre-revolutionary popular songs. Moein Khazaeli, a legal advisor at Dadban—a legal counseling group for Iranian activists based abroad—condemned the punishment as a violation of human rights and described flogging as a form of torture prohibited under international law.
The music community in Iran has expressed alarm over the harsh sentence. Leili, a Tehran-based singer, said she felt powerless watching colleagues penalized for their artistic expression. Human rights group Hengaw reported that another musician, Hiwa Seyfizade, was sentenced in recent weeks to four years in prison on charges of “promoting corruption and prostitution” linked to a performance.
Despite years of crackdowns aimed at enforcing mandatory hijab laws, many Iranian women have continued to appear in public without headscarves, an act seen by some observers as ongoing resistance rather than a sign of official leniency. Leili remarked that the growing visibility of unveiled women on social media reflects this defiance, with women increasingly willing to challenge the restrictions despite threats of punishment.
Meanwhile, protests have resumed in various sectors, including among students at Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran. Demonstrators decried economic hardships alongside compulsory hijab rules, chanting slogans that criticized both “exploitation, unemployment” and “compulsory hijab for women.”
Human Rights Activists in Iran, a US-based organization, called for the reversal of Ahmadi’s sentence. Deputy Director Skylar Thompson described flogging as “an archaic and deliberate act of violence against a person’s body and dignity,” noting that its use on Ahmadi aims to intimidate women into compliance with the strict dress code.