Who is Parastoo Ahmadi, the Iranian singer sentenced to 74 lashes for performing without wearing a hijab?

Back in 2024, an Iranian singer was hailed as a hero by supporters but faced prosecution after giving an online concert not wearing the hijab in defiance of the Islamic dress code.

Parastoo Ahmadi streamed the concert on her YouTube channel late two years back. She wore no headscarf and is bare-shouldered in a long, flowing black dress.

The concert, with no audience present, was shot inside Iran with Ahmadi and her four-man backing band on keyboard, percussion and guitars, playing outside on a stage in the grounds of a traditional caravanserai complex.

And now, as per reports, the singer and eight members of a production team, including musicians, were condemned to 74 lashes as she was not wearing the hijab.

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Who is the Iranian singer?

Parastoo Ahmadi is an artist and singer from Iran. Her performance of the Caravanserai Concert at Dayr-e Gachin Caravanserai with optional hijab, broadcast live on her YouTube channel and garnered widespread attention.

Ahmadi graduated in film directing from Soureh International University. She began taking courses in solfège and voice training (in folk music and classical music) at the age of 14.

About her concert, the singer said, "I, Parastoo, the girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I couldn’t overlook—singing for the land I deeply adore. Here, at this point in our beloved Iran, where history and legends intertwine, hear my voice in this imaginary concert and imagine this beautiful homeland…"

What does the law say?

Under rules imposed after the 1979 Islamic revolution, women must cover their hair in public and are also not allowed to sing alone in public.

Ahmadi has built a wide following among Iranians for songs posted on her Instagram page, including audio clips and videos of ballads sung indoors without a headscarf supporting the 2022-2023 mass protests against the authorities.

The protests were sparked by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, after her arrest in Tehran for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic’s strict dress code for women.