Verified events

An appeals court in Iran confirmed a sentence of 74 lashes handed to singer Parastoo Ahmadi after she performed in a sleeveless dress without a hijab during a livestreamed concert in December 2024. The court also imposed a two‑year ban on audiovisual activities and on leaving the country for Ahmadi and eight members of her band and production team. The appeal was rejected by a higher court without a hearing, according to the defendants' lawyers.

Legal backdrop

Iranian law, based on the state’s interpretation of Sharia, requires women and girls above puberty to cover their hair with a hijab and wear long, loose‑fitting clothing. Public performances by women are prohibited, and violations are classified as "offending public decency" or publishing "obscene and indecent material."

Reactions from the artistic community

Exiled singer Googoosh posted on Instagram urging an end to the “dark days” and calling for freedom of dress and artistic expression. Musician Hossein Alizadeh declared he would be willing to receive the lashes in Ahmadi’s place.

Human‑rights perspective

Human‑rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemned the punishment, stating that flogging is a "cruel, inhuman and degrading" practice that breaches the absolute prohibition on torture.

Historical context

The case echoes earlier incidents, such as the 2024 flogging of Kurdish‑Iranian activist Roya Heshmati for a hijab‑free photo, and the 2022 nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Since then, many Iranian women have publicly defied the dress code, prompting periodic crackdowns by authorities.

Political dimension

Conservative politician and Expediency Council member Gholamali Haddad‑Adel noted that Iran’s ongoing war with the United States and Israel limits the regime’s capacity to enforce hijab regulations "as much as we should for the time being." This comment suggests that geopolitical pressures may influence domestic policy enforcement.

Implications and uncertainty

Analysis: The upheld sentence serves as a stark reminder of the Iranian judiciary’s willingness to employ severe corporal punishment to enforce cultural norms. By rejecting the appeal without a hearing, the court signaled that deterrence—rather than procedural fairness—was the primary objective. The broader impact on Iran’s cultural sphere remains uncertain; while the punishment may intimidate other female performers, the continued defiance observed since the Amini protests indicates a resilient undercurrent of resistance.

Uncertainty: It is unclear how the ban on audiovisual activities will be enforced or whether the two‑year travel restriction will be lifted early. Additionally, the extent to which international condemnation will affect Iran’s domestic policy is unknown, given the regime’s historical resistance to external pressure.

Key takeaways