An appeals court in Iran has upheld a sentence of 74 lashes against prominent singer Parastoo Ahmadi after she performed without the mandatory hijab, her lawyers said.
Ahmadi, 29, performed in a sleeveless dress during a concert livestreamed on her YouTube channel in December 2024. The performance went viral and attracted millions of views, prompting Iran’s judiciary to launch legal proceedings against her.
Authorities said the performance violated the country’s “legal and cultural regulations”. Iranian law requires women to wear headscarves and modest clothing in public, while public performances by women are also subject to restrictions.
In June, a criminal court in Qom reportedly found Ahmadi and eight members of her band and production team guilty of offences including “offending public decency” through the publication of what authorities described as “obscene and indecent material”.
Alongside the 74 lashes, the defendants were reportedly banned from audiovisual activities and from leaving Iran for two years.
Their appeal was rejected by a higher court on Friday without a hearing, according to their lawyers.
One of Ahmadi’s lawyers told the BBC that the defence believed the concert did not constitute a crime and argued that the trial court had imposed one of the harshest available punishments.
The lawyer also said the appeals court had the option of holding a hearing but instead upheld the original sentence, adding that the decision appeared intended to deter similar performances in the future.
The original sentence sparked widespread criticism among Iranians and human rights groups.
Exiled Iranian singer Googoosh called for an end to restrictions on women’s freedom to choose how they live and dress, while musician Hossein Alizadeh said he was willing to receive 70 lashes in Ahmadi’s place.
Amnesty International also condemned the punishment, saying flogging amounts to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and violates the prohibition on torture and other ill-treatment.
The case comes amid years of tension over Iran’s compulsory hijab rules, particularly since nationwide protests erupted in 2022 following the death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini.
Amini was detained by morality police in Tehran over allegations that she had improperly worn her hijab. Her death triggered nationwide demonstrations, with women publicly removing or burning their headscarves in defiance of the dress code.
Hundreds of people were killed during the subsequent security crackdown, while many women and girls have since continued appearing in public without covering their hair.
Iranian authorities have responded with arrests, warnings, business closures and other enforcement measures.
In January 2024, Kurdish-Iranian activist Roya Heshmati was also subjected to 74 lashes after being convicted of “violating public morals” over a social media photograph showing her without a hijab, according to Kurdish rights group Hengaw.
Iran’s hijab rules are based on the country’s interpretation of Islamic law and require women and girls above the age of puberty to cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothing.
Earlier this month, conservative politician and Expediency Council member Gholamali Haddad-Adel said Iran’s war with the US and Israel meant authorities could not focus on enforcing the hijab rules as much as they normally would.
The latest conflict began at the end of February, following another wave of mass protests linked to Iran’s economic crisis, which were met with a violent security crackdown.
