'Woman's Voice Scared Them': Iranian Singer Sentenced To '74 Lashes' For Performing Without Hijab

Last Updated:June 20, 2026, 13:52 IST

Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has reportedly been sentenced to '74 lashes' after singing in a YouTube concert without wearing a hijab

Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has reportedly been sentenced to ’74 lashes’ after singing in a YouTube concert without wearing a hijab, a traditional headscarf worn by many Muslim women.

Along with the members of her band, Ahmadi was punished for a performance livestreamed on her YouTube channel in December 2024, The Guardian reported, citing court documents.

Shortly after the concert went online, Ahmadi and several musicians were arrested and later released. A formal case was then filed against the singer and her band members over the publication of the clip, said the report.

A court in Iran’s Qom province ordered ’74 lashes’ for the band, ordering a two-year ban on leaving the country and a two-year curb on participating in artistic activities.

According to the Daily Mail, the 29-year-old singer performed a patriotic song titled ‘Az Khoone Javanane Vatan’ (From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland), donning a long, black sleeveless dress.

“I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people", said Ahmadi, with her performance livestreamed on YouTube.

The sentence is a part of a new ‘Hijab and chastity’ bill introduced by the Iranian Parliament in 2025. Under the fresh rules, all women –– including girls as young as 12 –– must wear a hijab or face harsh punishments, according to the Daily Mail. 

The punishment may include fines, 15-year prison sentence, or even death penalty under the charge of “corruption on earth".

‘Woman’s Voice Scared Them’

The punishment has been widely criticised by human-rights activists and lawyers, who viewed the decision as a reflection of how women’s voices are treated as “threats".

Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist, reacted to the report and said: “One day after the U.S. signed a deal with the Islamic Republic، the regime in Iran, handed Parastoo Ahmadi 74 lashes for singing on YouTube."

Intensifying attack against the Iranian regime, she added: “They call America the Great Satan. And then they flew to the table and signed a deal with the «Devil«. But a woman’s voice scared them more than any superpower ever could. A regime that whips women for showing their hair and singing, there’s not a normal government. This is called apartheid against women."

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