Iran arrests singer Parastoo Ahmadi for performing virtual YouTube concert without wearing hijab

Iranian authorities have arrested Parastoo Ahmadi, a 27-year-old singer, after she posted a virtual concert on YouTube in which she performed without wearing a hijab. The arrest took place in Sari City, on Saturday, according to her lawyer, Milad Panahipour.

Ahmadi’s online concert, which featured her singing in a black strappy bodycon dress alongside four male musicians, has drawn significant attention, amassing over 1.4 million views.

In the video, she introduced herself as “a girl who wants to sing for the people I love”, asserting her right to perform as an artist.

“This is a right I could not ignore; singing for the land I love passionately,” she wrote in the video description.

The Iranian judiciary reportedly filed a case against Ahmadi the day before her arrest. Authorities have not disclosed the charges or her place of detention.

Two of the musicians in her band, Soheil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beiraghdar, were also arrested in Tehran on the same day.

“Unfortunately, we do not know the charges against Ms. Ahmady, who arrested her, or her place of detention, but we will follow up on the matter through legal authorities,” Associated Press said, quoting Panahipour.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has maintained strict regulations prohibiting women from singing solo before mixed-gender audiences or appearing without a hijab in public or on media platforms.

Violations of these laws can result in severe penalties, reflecting the symbolic and legal significance of the hijab in the country.

Ahmadi’s arrest comes amid heightened enforcement of the Islamic dress code, following a period of relative leniency after widespread protests in 2022 sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for allegedly violating hijab rules. While public resistance to the dress code persists, the Iranian government appears to be reasserting its authority on these issues.