Iranian Singer Who Performed Without Hijab Faces Fresh Setback As Court Upholds Lashes Sentence

• An Iranian appeals court upheld a sentence of 74 lashes against singer Parastoo Ahmadi over a hijab-free concert streamed online
• Ahmadi, 29, performed in a sleeveless dress during a December 2024 livestream, drawing millions of views and a criminal case
• Her lawyers say the appeal was rejected without a hearing, with eight band and crew members also facing punishment

An Iranian appeals court has confirmed a sentence of 74 lashes for singer Parastoo Ahmadi, who performed without a hijab during a concert streamed live on her YouTube channel in December 2024, her lawyers confirmed.

Ahmadi, 29, appeared on screen in a sleeveless dress, defying Iranian laws that prohibit women from performing publicly and require them to wear headscarves and modest clothing at all times. The footage attracted millions of views, prompting the country's judiciary to open a case against her, describing the performance as a breach of "the country's legal and cultural regulations."

A criminal court in Qom found Ahmadi and eight members of her band and production team guilty in June on charges that included "offending public decency" through the distribution of "obscene and indecent material." Beyond the flogging sentence, the court also imposed a two-year ban on audiovisual activities and barred all the defendants from travelling outside Iran.

The defendants filed an appeal, but a higher court dismissed it on Friday without convening a single hearing, according to their legal team.

One of her lawyers pushed back sharply against the ruling, telling the BBC: "In our view, holding the concert was not a crime at all. The trial court imposed one of the harshest punishments for these charges, although fines and less severe penalties were also available."

The lawyer expressed concern over the manner in which the appeal was handled, noting that the court had the legal option of scheduling a formal session but chose not to. "It appears that the main reason for issuing this judgment was to deter the recurrence of similar events," the lawyer added.

News of the original sentence had already stirred strong reactions among Iranians on social media, with many weighing in on the case since it first became public.

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