Iranian Singer Detained for Performing Without Hijab

Summary:
Parastoo Ahmady, a 27-year-old Iranian singer, was arrested for performing a virtual YouTube concert without wearing a hijab, violating Iranian laws. Her performance, accompanied by male musicians, has received over 1.4 million views. Restrictions on women’s appearances and solo performances stem from post-1979 Islamic Revolution laws. This arrest follows heightened enforcement of hijab regulations after the 2022 protests over Mahsa Amini’s death.

Parastoo Ahmady, a 27-year-old singer, has been arrested by Iranian authorities after performing a virtual YouTube concert without wearing a hijab. The arrest took place in Sari City, Mazandaran Province, following judicial action concerning her performance. Ahmady, dressed in a sleeveless, collarless black dress, was accompanied by four male musicians. Her concert has gained over 1.4 million views.

Expressing her dedication to music, Ahmady had written, “I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love.

Milad Panahipour, her lawyer, revealed that the charges and Ahmady’s current location remain unknown but assured that legal steps are underway. Two of her band members, Soheil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beiraghdar, were also arrested in Tehran.

Iranian law forbids women from appearing without a hijab in the presence of unrelated men and limits solo performances by female singers to all-female audiences. These restrictions trace back to post-1979 Islamic Revolution laws, which mandated the hijab as a symbol of modesty and religious devotion.

Ahmady’s arrest follows renewed enforcement of hijab rules in Iran. After Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022 while in morality police custody, widespread protests challenged these dress codes. Although enforcement briefly eased, authorities have recently adopted a stricter approach.