Official statements from international organizations

Iran Arrests Singer Parastoo Ahmadi After 1.3 Million-View Hijab-Free Concert; Ehsan Beiraghdar, Soheil Faghih-Nassiri Detained

Dec 13, 2024, 10:45 PM

Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has been arrested following her online concert in which she performed without a hijab, defying the Islamic Republic's strict dress codes. The concert, streamed live from a caravanserai in Iran, garnered over 1.3 million views on YouTube and sparked significant public discourse about women's rights and resistance against governmental restrictions. Ahmadi's performance is seen as a bold act of defiance, especially in light of recent laws that threaten severe penalties for women who do not comply with hijab mandates. Her lawyer confirmed that she was arrested in Mazandaran, while two of her band members, Ehsan Beiraghdar and Soheil Faghih-Nassiri, were detained earlier at their music school in Tehran. The Iranian judiciary has initiated legal proceedings against Ahmadi and the concert's production team for allegedly violating cultural norms and conducting the concert without proper authorization.