Parasta Ahmadi was arrested after a video of her concert was published, where she performed without a hijab. The artist was detained in the city of Sari, and two musicians from her band were also arrested in Tehran.
An Iranian singer who performed in protest without a hijab was arrested after a video of her concert was published. Parasta Ahmadi's arrest was announced by her lawyer Milyad Panahipour, UNN reports with reference to Bild.
Details
The artist was detained on Saturday in the city of Sari, the capital of the northern province of Mazandaran.
On Thursday, judicial authorities filed charges against Ahmadi for her performance at the concert. She appeared in a long black dress without sleeves and a collar, and without a hijab. She was accompanied by four male musicians.
Ahmadi posted her performance on YouTube the day before and said: “I am Parastu, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right that I could not refuse. I sing for the country that I love very much.” The concert has been viewed more than 1.6 million times.
The lawyer said he was not aware of the specific charges against Ahmadi, where she was being held, or who arrested her, but “we will continue to investigate this through the judicial authorities.” He also said two musicians from the Ahmadi group were arrested in Tehran on Saturday.
Additionally
After the Islamic Revolution and the rise of the mullahs to power in Iran in 1979, women were initially completely banned from singing. Then, a ban was imposed on performances in front of mixed audiences or solo dances.
Female singers can only perform in front of male audiences as part of a choir. However, they can sing in front of female audiences in specially designated halls.
According to Iranian and Islamic law, women are also prohibited from appearing in front of unrelated men without a hijab.