Who Is Parastoo Ahmady? 27-Year-Old Iranian Singer Arrested For Performing Without Hijab During Virtual Concert

Iranian authorities have detained Parastoo Ahmady, a 27-year-old female singer, for performing a virtual concert on YouTube, according to her lawyer, Milad Panahipour. Ahmady was arrested in Sari City, the capital of Mazandaran province, on Saturday, December 14.

The Concert and Arrest Details

Ahmady had performed the concert wearing a long black sleeveless dress without a hijab, accompanied by four male musicians. The concert, posted on YouTube, quickly gained attention, amassing over 1.4 million views. In her post, Ahmady expressed, “I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I could not ignore.”

The judiciary filed a case against her performance, and Panahipour confirmed that two members of her band, Soheil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beiraghdar, were also arrested in Tehran on Saturday. However, the charges against Ahmady, the authorities responsible for her arrest, and her location remain unknown.

What Are The Hijab Laws In Iran?

Women in Iran face strict restrictions on public performances. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women were initially banned from singing altogether, then restricted from solo performances before mixed-gender audiences.

While they are allowed to perform in women-only settings, appearing without a hijab in front of unrelated men is prohibited under Iranian and Islamic law.

The hijab has become a powerful political symbol in Iran, especially after becoming mandatory post-revolution. For many women, it represents modesty and religious piety, though the dress code has also sparked widespread protests, particularly following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 after her arrest for allegedly violating hijab laws.