Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi performs online concert without hijab, faces prosecution

An Iranian singer faces prosecution after performing an online concert without a hijab, violating Iran's dress code. The judiciary announced legal action against the singer and production staff on Thursday. The concert was streamed on YouTube and featured the singer, Parastoo Ahmadi, bare-shouldered in a black dress, performing with a three-man band.

The concert appears to have been filmed in Iran at a traditional caravanserai. Iranian law requires women to cover their hair in public and prohibits them from singing solo publicly. Ahmadi had previously gained a following on Instagram, posting videos and audio clips of herself singing without a headscarf, often in support of the 2022-2023 protests.

A message preceding the concert on YouTube stated: "I am Parastoo, the girl who cannot remain silent and refuses to stop singing for the country she loves." She encouraged viewers to "listen to my voice in this imaginary concert and dream of a free and beautiful nation".

The Iranian judiciary, without naming Ahmadi, stated that legal action was taken against “a group led by a female singer” who performed “music without observing legal and religious standards.”

US-based activist Masih Alinejad called the concert “historic,” stating that “her voice is a weapon against tyranny, her courage a song of defiance.” Commentator Karim Sadjadpour described the concert as an “act of extraordinary courage” and “another crack in the foundations of Iran's rotting theocracy.”

This event comes before a new law, expected Friday, which rights groups say will increase penalties for women violating the dress code.