News Brief
Iranian Singer Parastoo Ahmadi Arrested For Performing At Virtual Concert Without Hijab
Parastoo Ahmady (Pic Via Facebook)
A 27-year-old Iranian singer has been arrested after performing in a virtual concert on YouTube without wearing a hijab, Times of Israel reported.
Parastoo Ahmadi was taken into custody on Saturday (14 December) in Sari, Mazandaran province, approximately 280 km from Tehran, according to her lawyer Milad Panahipour.
Her arrest was linked to a case filed on Thursday after she posted her concert online, where she was seen in a sleeveless black dress, her hair uncovered, and performing with four male musicians.
"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. Here, in this part of our beloved Iran, where history and our myths intertwine, hear my voice in this imaginary concert and imagine this beautiful homeland," Ahmady wrote in a post accompanying the video on YouTube.
The YouTube concert has amassed over 1.5 million views.
The hijab was mandated by Iranian law in the years following the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Many Iranian women see the hijab enforcement as a restriction on their personal freedom.
Protests erupted across Iran in 2022 following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being detained for allegedly failing to comply with the dress code.
