Parastoo Ahmad lost her appeal.
Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has lost her appeal against a sentence of 74 lashes, after she performed without a hijab in a livestreamed concert viewed by millions online.
Ahmadi, 29, sang in a sleeveless black dress during the December 2024 “Imaginary Concert”, streamed on YouTube from an empty courtyard. Public performances by women and unveiled appearances are both prohibited under Iranian law. Authorities briefly detained her and several band members afterwards, then opened a judicial case describing the show as a breach of the country’s “legal and cultural regulations.”
In June 2026, a criminal court in Qom convicted Ahmadi and eight members of her production team of offences including “offending public decency.” The court sentenced them to 74 lashes, a two-year ban on audiovisual activities and a two-year travel restriction. An appeals court has now upheld that ruling.
The case has drawn international condemnation. Amnesty International said flogging amounts to inhuman punishment and breaches the absolute prohibition on torture, whilst fellow musicians and human rights groups voiced solidarity with Ahmadi.
