Iranian authorities have detained 27-year-old singer Parastoo Ahmadi following her virtual concert on YouTube, where she performed without wearing a hijab. Her lawyer, Milad Panahipour, confirmed the arrest, which occurred in Sari City on Saturday.
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Ahmadi’s performance, featuring her in a black strappy bodycon dress alongside four male musicians, garnered significant attention, amassing over 1.4 million views. Introducing herself in the video, she described her act as “a girl singing for the people I love,” emphasizing her artistic freedom. “Singing for the land I cherish is a right I couldn’t ignore,” she wrote in the video description.
Authorities filed a legal case against Ahmadi a day before her arrest but have yet to disclose specific charges or her detention location. Two musicians from her band, Soheil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beiraghdar, were also taken into custody in Tehran the same day.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has enforced strict rules banning women from performing solo before mixed-gender audiences or appearing in public without a hijab. Violating these laws can lead to harsh penalties due to the legal and symbolic importance of the hijab in Iranian society.
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Ahmadi’s arrest occurs amid a renewed crackdown on hijab enforcement, following protests triggered by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, detained for an alleged hijab violation. Despite ongoing public resistance, Iranian authorities seem intent on reasserting control over dress code regulations.
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