ALBAWABA - Human rights activists were angered after an Iranian court sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight of her band to 74 lashes after a 2024 livestream performance of a patriotic song, The Guardian reported.
According to activists, the 29-year-old Iranian singer performed the patriotic song "Az Khoone Javanane Vatan" [From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland] without a hijab during a livestreamed performance that garnered millions of views in December 2024.
On charges that include offending public decency through the production and publication of “vulgar and immoral content” online, the criminal court of Qom province sentenced artist Parastoo Ahmadi and her band members to flogging, a 2-year ban on leaving the country and a 2-year ban on engaging in artistic activities.
Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi
Bahar Ghandehari, the director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, said: "Parastoo Ahmadi's punishment of 74 lashes for merely singing and appearing without a hijab is yet another reminder that human rights conditions in Iran have not changed, despite the Iranian authorities’ wartime propaganda campaign aimed at improving their image."
According to sources, she was briefly arrested along with eight musicians shortly after the release of the song. They were later freed.
Iranian authorities later filed a formal case over the publication of the video, which has since gained millions of views on YouTube.
