Iranian authorities arrested singer Parastoo Ahmadi over the weekend after she made international headlines for performing in an online YouTube concert with her hair uncovered—violating the Islamic Republic’s modesty laws, which require women to cover their heads.
The 27-year-old singer’s bare-headed performance, intentionally staged to defy the regime’s laws, has garnered over 1.6 million views on YouTube.
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Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi, 27, gave a performance on YouTube with her neck and arms showing and without wearing a required hijab
Milad Panahipour, Ahmadi’s lawyer, confirmed that she was arrested on Saturday in Sari, the capital of Mazandaran province in northern Iran. Her arrest followed the Iranian prosecution’s decision to launch an investigation against her on Thursday. “Unfortunately, we do not know the charges brought against Ms. Ahmadi, who arrested her, or where she is being held, but we will pursue the matter through legal channels,” Panahipour said.
Opposition news site Iran International reported Sunday that Ahmadi was released that morning, but no official confirmation has been made.
The uproar surrounding Ahmadi began on Wednesday when she livestreamed a YouTube performance wearing a long black dress with her arms and neck exposed, and no hijab. She was accompanied by four male musicians. In a post sharing the concert link the day before, Ahmadi wrote: “I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people she loves. This is a privilege I cannot ignore—to sing for the country I love so much.”
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Following the performance, security forces raided Ahmadi’s home, and she was summoned to the prosecutor’s office for questioning. Iranian authorities announced plans to put her on trial. Two members of her band, Soheil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beiraghdar, were also arrested on Saturday in Tehran.
Ahmadi's appearance on YouTube:
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, restrictions on female performers have been a point of contention in Iran. Initially, women were completely banned from singing, though the restrictions were later loosened to allow performances in certain conditions. Currently, women may only sing as part of a choir in mixed-gender audiences or perform solo in front of all-female audiences. Performing without a hijab in front of unrelated men is strictly prohibited under Iran’s Sharia-based laws.
Ahmadi’s arrest comes two years after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in custody after being arrested by Tehran’s morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Amini’s death sparked nationwide protests against the regime’s dress code and broader restrictions, with the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” becoming a rallying cry. Ahmadi previously performed a song titled From the Blood of the Youth of Your Country in support of the movement.
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Protests erupted in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was arrested by Tehran's modesty police for wearing her hijab improperly
(Photos: Reuters)
Although Iranian authorities initially eased the enforcement of hijab laws following the protests, the past few months have seen a renewed crackdown. Ahmadi’s defiance has drawn praise on social media, with many users hailing her as a symbol of resistance.
Political activist Hossein Ronaghi posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Our message is clear—we will stand up to any form of hostility against women and oppression of the people. Parastoo Ahmadi and the musicians are the voice of the nation and must be freed.”
In contrast, a regime-affiliated Iranian newspaper labeled the performance as a “cultural provocation and an incitement of public opinion.”