Parastoo Ahmady, a 27-year-old Iranian singer, was arrested on Saturday after her virtual concert on YouTube, where she appeared without a hijab.
The Times of Israel reports that her lawyer, Milad Panahipour, confirmed that the arrest occurred in Sari, Mazandaran province, approximately 280 km from Tehran.
Ahmady’s performance, which featured her in a sleeveless black dress and uncovered hair alongside four male musicians, led to her detention following a complaint filed on Thursday. In a poignant message on YouTube, Ahmady expressed her aspirations: “I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I could not ignore, singing for the land I love passionately. Hear my voice in this imaginary concert and imagine our beautiful homeland.”
The video quickly gained traction, amassing over 1.5 million views. Additionally, two male musicians, Soheil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beiraghdar, were also arrested in Tehran on the same day.
Iran’s mandatory hijab law, instituted after the 1979 Islamic revolution, remains a contentious issue. While some women wear the hijab as an expression of their faith, others see it as an infringement on personal freedom. The issue gained international attention following the protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022, who died in police custody under allegations of violating the dress code.
