74 lashes and two years of prohibition from singing and leaving the country: an Iranian appeals court has confirmed this sentence against singer Parastoo Ahmadi for posting a virtual concert at the end of 2024 where she appeared without a veil.
The singer herself announced late on Friday on her Instagram page that Branch 16 of the Appeals Court in the province of Qom "has issued the final verdict on the case of the caravanserai concert."
"As a result, Parastoo Ahmadi, four musicians, and four other individuals have been sentenced to 74 lashes, two years of prohibition from engaging in audiovisual activities, and a ban from leaving the country," according to a story posted by Ahmadi on the social network, as reported by Efe.
The artist noted that the appeals court rejected the objections raised by the defendants and confirmed the ruling issued in the first instance by Branch 122 of the Qom Criminal Court last June, "The sentence is final and must be enforced," the singer stated.
In the initial ruling, Ahmadi and eight other musicians and team members had received the same sentences for Ahmadi's solo performance without the "Islamic hijab," the presence of male musicians, which the court deemed "obscene" and contrary to moral and religious norms. The defense had argued, among other things, the artistic nature of the work and the absence of criminal intent.
The case dates back to December 11, 2024, when Ahmadi posted a 27-minute video on YouTube of a "hypothetical concert" recorded at the historic Deir Gachin caravanserai in the province of Qom, where she appeared in a long black dress, bare shoulders, and without a veil, singing several songs accompanied by four musicians. In this way, the vocalist defied the strict dress code and the ban on women singing in public.
In less than 24 hours, Iranian judicial authorities announced that they had filed a complaint against the singer and her companions for holding the concert "without permission" and not respecting "legal and religious norms."
The Islamic Republic of Iran does not allow women to release albums and they can only perform for a female audience, without video cameras or photos.
Ahmad had already faced a complaint in 2022 when she released the song From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland during the protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the Moral Police for wearing the Islamic veil incorrectly. The singer's challenge came at a time of tension in Iran regarding the mandatory use of the veil, two years after the massive protests following Amini's death.
Since then, numerous Iranian women have stopped covering their heads as a form of civil disobedience, while authorities have maintained an inconsistent enforcement of the hijab rules, and conservative sectors have called for stricter control.