Iranian Female Singer Sentenced To 74 Lashes For Not Wearing Hijab; Critics Warn Punishment Could Be Deadly

Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has reportedly been sentenced to 74 lashes after performing without a hijab during an online concert that challenged Iran’s strict restrictions on women singers.

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Ahmadi organized what she described as an “imaginary concert” in 2024 as a protest against laws that severely limit women’s ability to sing and perform publicly in Iran. She later shared the performance online, where it quickly went viral.

Within hours of being posted, the concert reportedly received more than 100,000 views, with clips spreading widely across social media. The original video has since amassed nearly 3 million views.

“I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for people she loves,” Ahmadi previously wrote.

“This is a right I could not ignore.”

According to reports, eight others involved in the production, including musicians, were also sentenced to 74 lashes. Iranian authorities accused them of violating public decency laws through the production and publication of what officials described as “vulgar and immoral content.”

The punishment has sparked outrage among human rights advocates, who argue that corporal punishment for artistic expression is both cruel and inhumane.

Critics have also raised concerns about the physical consequences of such a sentence. While the exact method by which the lashes would be administered and what medical care, if any, would be provided afterward remains unclear, some observers warn that a punishment of this magnitude could result in severe injury.

The case has prompted comparisons to Jewish law, where corporal punishment was subject to strict limitations. The Torah states:

“He may strike him forty times; he shall not add…” (Deuteronomy 25:3)

The Sages interpreted this verse to mean a maximum of 39 lashes, often referred to as “forty less one.”

Under Jewish law, the punishment was carefully regulated. A court physician would first determine how many lashes a person could physically withstand. Many offenders received fewer than the maximum number, and the punishment could be halted if the individual became unable to continue.

For many critics, the contrast highlights the severity of Iran’s sentence, particularly when imposed on a singer whose offense was performing without a hijab and sharing her music online.

As international attention grows, Ahmadi’s case has become a symbol of the ongoing struggle for women’s rights, freedom of expression, and resistance to the Islamic Republic’s strict social restrictions.