Court for Iran sentence singer to 74 lashes say she perform without hijab

Court for Iran sentence singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight members of di production team wey include musicians to 74 stokes.

Tori be say di punishment na sake of say dem perform for concert wey dem stream live on Ahmadi YouTube channel for 2024.

According to the Guardian tori, dem say court documents show say di criminal court of Qom province sentence di artists to flogging.

Court also ban dem make dem no comot from di kontri for two years, plus anoda two-year ban wey go make dem no engage in artistic activities sake of charges wey include offending public decency through di production and publication of "vulgar and immoral content" online.

Even though official judiciary news agency neva publish di ruling, rights groups and lawyers wey bin review di documents say di pattern of arrests and legal cases against artists wey dey publicly go against di regime how broader effort to stop cultural opposition.

For December 2024, di singer wey dey 29 years bin perform di patriotic song Az Khoone Javanane Vatan (From di Blood of di Youth of di Homeland) without hijab for di performance wey dem livestream wey bin go viral.

Dem bin detain her briefly wit many oda musicians but afta small time, dem release her.

Authorities later file formal case over di publication of di video, wey don get millions of views since on You Tube.

Bahar Ghandehari, wey be di director of advocacy for di US-based Center for Human Rights for Iran, say "Ahmadi punishment of 74 lashes for ordinary singing and appearing without hijab na yet anoda reminder say human rights conditions for Iran neva change, despite di Iranian authorities' wartime propaganda campaign wey di aim na to improve dia image."

She add say di contrast between official imagery and di prosecution of artists expose "di gap between di regime propaganda and reality".

Moein Khazaeli, one human rights lawyer for Dadban, legal counselling centre for Iranian activists, say di sentence no get legal basis.

"To sing, and perform music and producing or to share musical works by women no dey criminalised under Iranian criminal law. Consequently, such activities no go fit dey reasonably construed as di 'production, distribution or publication of obscene content'," im tok.

"To give flogging sentence against artists, civil society activists or oda citizens no be merely a mata of domestic criminal law. E dey also raise serious concern wey regardcstates' international obligations to prohibit torture and safeguard human dignity.

"For dis reason, plenti human rights organisations consider flogging say e no be legitimate form of punishment, but na a form of torture and inhuman treatment instead."

For Iranian artists, di ruling, even though dem no bin expect am, don cause more fear of serious cultural repression.

Di Iranian-British actor Nazanin Boniadi say: "Di sentencing of singer Parastoo Ahmadi to flogging for di simple act of singing publicly without hijab na stark reminder say, despite tok-tok wit Washington of a 'new regime' for Iran, di Islamic republic machinery of repression neva still change.

"Accommodating a regime wey dey flog women for dia voices and wey dey kill citizens for demanding dia rights dey only make am worse for dem to continue down di tyrannical path."

Di Iranian actor Setareh Maleki, wey dem bin force into exile afta in act for Mohammad Rasoulof Oscar-nominated film The Seed of the Sacred Fig, say di performance get powerful emotive impact on her.

She bin tell di Guardian: "Wen I bin watch di video of Parastoo Ahmadi concert, e ginger and bring back di spirit of resistance inside me. For days, I continue to watch di videos over and over again, and I bin feel veri proud of Parastoo.

"Knowing all di consequences wey she go face, she still refuse to give up her right, as a woman, to live, to sing and to dey heard. Iranian women neva stop to fight against tyranny, not even for one moment, and e dey truly remarkable."

She add say: "For an Iranian artist wey refuse to comply wit censorship inside Iran, di daily routine na a form of resistance.

"We don come a long way but a long road still dey ahead. I dey grateful say evriday anoda beloved artist dey remind us of hope again and e dey become guiding light."