Iranian singer sentenced to 74 barbaric lashes for belting out patriotic song without a hijab
New York Post • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi and an eight-person production team were sentenced to 74 lashes for performing a patriotic song without wearing a hijab during a December 2024 livestream, according to court documents reviewed by the Guardian.
- Ahmadi and the group also received two-year bans on leaving Iran and engaging in artistic activities, despite legal experts stating that singing and performing music by women are not criminalized under Iranian law.
- The performance, which gained millions of views on YouTube, led to their brief detention, and human rights advocates condemned the sentence as lacking legal basis and reflecting a crackdown on cultural dissent.
- Similar punishments, including flogging and detention, have been imposed on other Iranian singers and women's rights activists, with recent cases highlighting ongoing human rights abuses amid political unrest.
- The crackdown coincides with broader anti-government protests sparked by economic issues and calls for reform, which have spread nationwide since late 2024.
