Iranian Singer Arrested Following Virtual Concert Without Hijab

The Islamic Republic's authorities have arrested a female singer for performing a virtual concert on YouTube without the mandatory hijab.

Parastoo Ahmadi was arrested in northern Mazandaran province on Saturday.

"As of noon today, we did not know about the situation of my client, Parastoo Ahmadi," said her lawyer, Milad Panahipour. 

"Unfortunately we learned that she was arrested today in Mazandaran province," he added. 

Hours after the news of Ahmadi's arrest broke, the Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed that the singer had left the Mazandaran police headquarters with her family following a briefing session.

However, Panahipour shared Tasnim's report on his Instagram story, accompanied by the hashtag "#LiesBanned."

"As previously announced by the judiciary, legal cases have been filed against all people involved, including my client, Ms. Parastoo Ahmadi," Panahipour said.

He added, "We were awaiting the legal process, but this afternoon, two of the musicians, Ehsan Beyraghdar and Sohail Faqih Nasiri, were arrested at their music academy in Tehran.

"We are working to find out why they were arrested and who detained them, but currently have no information about this or the charges."

He also said the arrests were carried out without prior notification or summons from the judiciary.

Shortly after the release of footage showing Parastoo Ahmadi performing without the mandatory hijab on Wednesday, the Islamic Republic's Judiciary filed criminal charges against her and other people involved in the performance.

The official Judiciary news outlet, Mizan News Agency, described the performance on X as "illegal" and announced the filing of legal cases against the singer and those involved in producing the performance.

Ahmadi said singing for the people she loves is a right she cannot ignore. 

She wrote: “I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I like. This is a right I could not ignore - singing for the land I passionately love. Here, in this part of our dear Iran, where history and our legends intertwine, listen to my voice.”

As the first and only female Iranian singer to perform publicly without a hijab since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, she held a concert in the courtyard of a caravanserai in Iran and streamed it live on YouTube.

On her Instagram page, Ahmadi described the concert as being “for my dear people, carried out under difficult conditions and high tension."

The 27-minute video quickly spread across social media and earned widespread praise, as singing is forbidden for women under the Islamic Republic’s law.

Update: Her lawyer said she was released on Sunday morning.