Sentence of 74 lashes upheld for famous Iranian singer

The Iranian Court of Appeal upheld the sentence of 74 lashes imposed on famous singer Parastu Ahmadi and her band. Thus, the court verdict issued against the singer and eight other members of her team has entered into legal force. This was reported by The Guardian.

It is noted that the Court of Appeal in the city of Qom rejected the appeal filed by the lawyers of Ahmadi and her team. The court verdict was issued in June of this year, according to which the singer and her band members were sentenced to 74 lashes, a two-year travel ban, and a restriction on engaging in artistic activities during the same period.

This case is related to a concert broadcasted via the internet in December 2024. In it, 29-year-old Parastu Ahmadi performed a solo song without a hijab. Her performance was distributed on the YouTube platform and garnered millions of views in a short time. The Iranian government assessed this concert as contrary to the country's "legal and cultural norms".

The case concerns the "Caravanserai Concert" posted on the internet on December 11, 2024. In a 27-minute video filmed at the historic Deyr-Gachin caravanserai, Parastu Ahmadi performed several songs wearing a long black dress and without a headscarf. Four male musicians were also by her side.

Iranian legislation prohibits women from appearing in public places without a hijab. There are also restrictions in the country against women performing solo songs at public concerts with male participation. Ahmadi and her team were accused of violating precisely these requirements.

Lawyers for the singer and her team had asked the appellate instance to review the previous decision. However, the court did not find the evidence and arguments presented by the defense side sufficient and upheld the previous verdict without holding a separate court session.

At the same time, human rights organizations strongly condemned the sentence of 74 lashes imposed on the singer and her team. Human rights activists assessed such a punishment as degrading to human dignity and a form of torture.

The new stage of Ahmadi's case coincides with a period of increasing pressure on women in Iran who do not comply with mandatory hijab requirements. Following the mass protests in 2022, many women in the country continue to walk in public places without a hijab.

At the same time, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Eje'i, the head of Iran's judicial system, has demanded new measures to be taken against actions opposing the mandatory hijab.

For now, no precise information has been provided on when the 74 lashes sentence imposed on Parastu Ahmadi and her team will be carried out.