On 14th December, Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi was arrested for performing an online concert without wearing a hijab. Parastoo’s lawyer, Milad Panahipour, confirmed the reports to local media in Iran. Panahipour said in a statement, “As of noon today, we were unaware of the whereabouts of my client, Parastoo Ahmadi. Regrettably, we have learned that she was arrested today in Mazandaran province.” However, later the police released the singer.
Apart from Parastoo, two musicians who performed at the YouTube concert were also arrested. They have been identified as Ehsan Birghidar and Sohail Faqih Nasiri. The concert went live on YouTube on 11th December. Parastoo was seen in a gorgeous black dress. However, by not wearing a hijab, she defied Iran’s stringent morality laws governing women. According to Iranian laws, women are mandated to wear the hijab. Furthermore, they are also forbidden from singing in public places.
Before starting the concert, Parastoo stated, “I want to sing for the people I love. This is a right I could not forsake – singing for the land I hold dear.” Named the “Karvansara Concert,” it was performed without any live audience. Notably, there are strict restrictions on YouTube in Iran. However, despite these restrictions, her concert gained over 70,000 views within 12 hours of the broadcast. By the time this report was published, the video had gained over 16 lakh views in just three days.
Following the concert, security agents reportedly raided her house, and she was summoned by the Tehran Security Prosecutor’s Office for further questioning. Iranian authorities have already announced that Parastoo would face an immediate trial for the concert.
Reacting to her arrest, Iranian activist Masih Alinejad wrote on X, “Arrested for Singing: The Islamic Republic’s War on Women According to media reports: The Islamic Republic has arrested Parastoo Ahmadi and her bandmates for the “crime” of singing and showing her hair in public. In Iran, women are banned from singing, and even a few strands of uncovered hair are enough to justify an arrest. This cruel crackdown shows just how desperate the regime is to hold on to power. While the people of Iran suffer from poverty, power outages, and a collapsing economy, the regime focuses its energy on silencing women and artists. Khamenei’s terrorist proxies are being dismantled across the region, yet his regime turns its brutality inward, targeting innocent people instead of addressing the country’s real crises. but Iranians are using social media to echo her voice. Only our unity can help us to get free from this regime. Please join our fight.”
Arrested for Singing: The Islamic Republic’s War on Women
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) December 14, 2024
According to media reports:
The Islamic Republic has arrested Parastoo Ahmadi and her bandmates for the “crime” of singing and showing her hair in public. In Iran, women are banned from singing, and even a few strands of… https://t.co/I25810vX4j pic.twitter.com/urQjFwMKOi
Later the singer’s lawyer Milad Panahipour confirmed on Facebook that Parastoo Ahmadi had been released. As per reports, Ahmadi was summoned by the Public Security Police due to her video without a hijab. After a brief session at the police station, she was let go.
The Iranian judiciary said that the video by Ahmadi violated Iranian legal and cultural rules, and it was released without authorisation.
Who is Parastoo Ahmadi?
Parastoo Ahmadi is a 27-year-old singer from Nowshahr in northern Iran. She was born in 1997. Parastoo graduated in directing from Soore University in Tehran. This was not the first time Parastoo had defied laws in Iran. In 2022, she performed a rendition of Az Khoon-e Javanan-e Vatan (From the Blood of the Youth of the Nation) during anti-veil protests following the death of Mahsa Amini.
The case of Ahoo Daryaei
In November 2024, a woman identified as Ahoo Daryaei was arrested for stripping down to her underwear in protest against “abusive” dress code policing at a university in Tehran. Videos of her in underwear went viral on social media. Following the incident, she was bundled into a car by men in plain clothes and taken to an unknown location. Local reports suggested that she was admitted to a mental health facility.
The case of Mahsa Amini
In September 2022, a 22-year-old Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini fell into a coma after being beaten by the ‘Morality Police’ for wearing an ‘improper hijab’. She later succumbed to her injuries while receiving treatment at a hospital. Her death sparked protests across Iran against moral policing. Women in Iran continue to protest against repressive gendered morality laws.
