Iranian singer sentenced to death along with eight others

In a Tehran court, singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight members of her group were sentenced to 74 lashes each for performing a song without a hijab, Zamin.uz reported.

According to the British outlet, the sentence was linked to Ahmadi’s performance of a song in early 2024 without wearing a headscarf. During the trial, the defendants were found guilty of creating and distributing artistic works deemed contrary to moral norms.

In addition to the flogging, the court in Qom province banned them from leaving Iran for two years and prohibited them from engaging in music or other artistic activities during that period.

It was reported that the 29-year-old singer performed the song “From the Blood of the Nation’s Youth” without a hijab in December 2024. The video quickly spread across social media, sparking widespread debate.

Later, the video was viewed nearly three million times on a major video platform. Following the incident, Ahmadi and a group of musicians were briefly detained but later released.

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities launched an official investigation into the video’s release. Bahor Ghandihariy, a representative of the Iran Human Rights Center based in the United States, said the ruling shows that human rights conditions in Iran have not improved.

Lawyer Muin Khazaeli emphasized that Iranian law does not criminalize women singing, performing music, or creating artistic works.