Iran sentences musicians to 74 lashes for ‘vulgar’ no-hijab performance

• Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has been sentenced to 74 lashes for performing without a hijab during a live-streamed YouTube concert in 2024.
• Eight other musicians and production team members, including photographer Tahmineh Monzavi, received the same sentence from the criminal court of Qom province.
• The group faces charges of offending public decency and publishing “vulgar and immoral content” online, alongside a two-year ban from leaving the country and engaging in artistic activities.
• Human rights groups, such as the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, condemned the punishment.
• Legal experts noted that singing by women is not criminalised under Iranian law, making the charges of “obscene content” questionable.

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Iranian singer sentenced to 74 lashes for performing without hijab, says human rights group