In brief
An appeals court in Iran left in place a 74‑lash penalty against singer Parastoo Ahmadi for performing in an sleeveless dress during a livestream in December 2024. The lawsuit was launched after the clip amassed millions of views, the court argued it violated the nation’s moral codes. Accompanying band members received the same punishment and a two‑year ban on IV media and travel. The appeal was dismissed without a hearing, a decision that drew criticism from musicians and Amnesty International, which decried flogging as cruel and inhuman. The case is part of a broader crackdown on women’s dress after the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests and ongoing enforcement of hijab laws.
An Iranian appeals court confirmed a 74‑lash punishment against singer Parastoo Ahmadi for performing in a sleeveless dress during a December 2024 livestream on YouTube.
The clip attracted millions of viewers, prompting the judiciary to charge the singer for violating the country’s public decency laws and imposing an “obscene and indecent material” penalty.
Earlier in Qom, a criminal court found Ahmadi and the eight members of her band and crew guilty of offending public decency, issuing the lashes, a two‑year AV ban and a travel ban.
Lawyers defended the singer, arguing the concert was not a crime and that fines or lighter penalties would have sufficed. They said the appeal was dismissed without a hearing, a move intended to deter similar events.
The sentence sparked a wave of solidarity from ex‑Iranian artists, activists and Amnesty International, which labeled flogging as cruel, inhuman and a violation of the absolute ban on torture.
The case sits amid a broader crackdown on women’s dress following the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests and reflects strengthened enforcement of hijab rules as the government cites ongoing regional conflicts and domestic unrest.
