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Iran court upholds flogging sentence for singer who performed without hijab
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- An Iranian appeals court upheld a sentence of 74 lashes against singer Parastoo Ahmadi for performing without a mandatory hijab during a livestreamed concert, alongside bans on audiovisual activities and travel for two years.
- Ahmadi and eight others were initially convicted in Qom for "offending public decency" by publishing "obscene and indecent material," with the appeal rejected without a hearing to deter similar actions.
- The case has drawn condemnation from human rights groups like Amnesty International, which labeled flogging as cruel and inhuman punishment, and sparked solidarity from artists such as Googoosh and Hossein Alizadeh.
- Iran's strict dress code laws require women to wear hijabs and modest clothing, enforced under Sharia-based regulations, with ongoing crackdowns following widespread protests after Mahsa Amini's death in 2022.
- Despite the enforcement, some Iranian officials have suggested a temporary easing of hijab crackdowns due to geopolitical tensions, though public defiance and government repression continue.
