Iranian Singer Gets 74 Lashes for Singing Without Hijab

An Iranian court has sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi to 74 lashes for performing without wearing a hijab.

Parastoo Ahmadi and eight members of her band and crew were tried in secret in Qom Province. The court gave the judgment last week.

A video of her 2024 concert became popular on YouTube. In the video, her hair, arms, and shoulders were uncovered, which goes against Iran’s laws.

The court also banned Ms. Ahmadi and her colleagues from performing or leaving Iran for two years. Two of the people sentenced were outside Iran when the judgment was announced.

The punishment came shortly after Iran and the United States reached a tentative agreement to end a conflict that lasted for months and killed thousands of people across the Middle East.

Human rights groups said the sentence shows that Iran’s leaders are still enforcing strict rules on women and freedom of expression.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, head of Iran Human Rights in Norway, described the punishment as cruel and humiliating. He warned that the government could increase restrictions on women after the peace agreement with the United States.

The war that began in February involved attacks by the United States and Israel. Several top Iranian leaders were killed, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled the country for many years.