Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has reportedly been sentenced to 74 lashes after performing without a hijab in a livestreamed YouTube concert.
The Guardian reported that Ahmadi and eight members of the production team, including musicians, were sentenced by a criminal court in Qom province.
The reported penalties include flogging, a two-year travel ban and a two-year ban on artistic activities over charges tied to offending public decency and publishing what authorities described as immoral content online.
The official judiciary news agency had not published the ruling at the time of The Guardian’s report, so the punishment should be described as reported. IranWire, citing a copy of the verdict, reported that the ruling is preliminary and remains subject to appeal.
The Sentence Followed a Viral YouTube Concert
Ahmadi’s case stems from her December 2024 Caravanserai Concert, a 27-minute performance streamed on her YouTube channel from a historic caravanserai in Iran.
Iran International reported at the time that Ahmadi challenged Iran’s mandatory dress rules and restrictions on women performing publicly by appearing without a hijab and singing with a band.
The Guardian reported that one of the songs in the performance was Az Khoone Javanane Vatan, translated as From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland. RFE/RL reported that the video has drawn millions of views online.
Ahmadi Said Singing Was a Right She Could Not Ignore
Before the concert spread online, Ahmadi framed the performance as something larger than a music release.
Iran International reported that she called the video an “imagined” concert. Earlier coverage also described the performance as a direct challenge to the rules limiting women’s public singing and requiring hijab in Iran.
The video quickly moved beyond music circles, with supporters treating the performance as an act of cultural protest.
She Was Detained After the Performance
Ahmadi was arrested after the concert became public. Iran International reported that she was first arrested in Mazandaran three days after posting the video on YouTube.
The outlet reported in December 2024 that Iran’s judiciary later expanded the investigation to include organizers and crew members behind the concert. The case was transferred to Qom after authorities said the alleged offense occurred there.
Iran International also reported that Ahmadi was released on bail after appearing before prosecutors, while members of her band were also charged and released on bail.
Rights Advocates and Lawyers Condemned the Reported Punishment
Iranian authorities have sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi to a punishment of 74 lashes for performing in a YouTube video that has racked up 2.9 million views over the last two years. Ahmadi sang the well-known patriotic song From the Blood of the Youth to an empty theater space… pic.twitter.com/AU4RWV66Lw
— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) June 18, 2026
The Guardian reported that Bahar Ghandehari, advocacy director at the U.S.-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, described the punishment as evidence that Iran’s human-rights conditions had not changed.
Moein Khazaeli, a human-rights lawyer with Dadban, told The Guardian that singing, performing music and producing or sharing music by women are not criminalized under Iranian criminal law. He also said flogging sentences raise concerns over torture and human dignity.
IranWire reported that the court cited Article 638 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code and Article 743 of the Computer Crimes Law. The outlet said the ruling treated the musicians, production crew, videographers and other personnel as part of a collective act tied to producing and distributing the performance online.
The Case Is Bigger Than One Concert
The reported sentence has turned Ahmadi’s concert into another flashpoint over women’s rights, artistic freedom and mandatory hijab enforcement in Iran.
The legal case also shows how online performance can carry real risk for artists inside the country. Ahmadi streamed a filmed concert from a historic space, and authorities still opened a criminal case.
Ahmadi and eight members of the Caravanserai Concert team have reportedly received flogging, travel-ban and artistic-ban sentences; rights advocates and lawyers have condemned the punishment; and IranWire says the ruling remains subject to appeal.