Who is Parastoo Ahmadi? Iranian singer arrested for not wearing a hijab during online concert

Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi was recently arrested for allegedly posting a 27-minute video of herself on YouTube without a hijab. According to NBC News, the video was uploaded on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, and her arrest followed just days after, on Saturday, December 14, 2024.

The publication also reported that the charges against Parastoo and the location of her detention are unknown. However, a statement from a local news agency (Mehr News Agency) confirmed that the singer was released after an interview with authorities. The agency said:

"The Mazandaran Police Information Center announced that Ms Parastoo Ahmadi attended a briefing session after posting a video deemed contrary to cultural norms and values. She has been asked to appear before judicial authorities."

Parastoo Ahmadi is a 27-year-old singer from Nowshahr, northern Iran. As per The Week, the singer graduated from Soore University in Tehran and learned to play the piano. Parastoo has nearly 55,000 subscribers on YouTube, and each of her videos has earned her thousands of views.

In her video posted on YouTube, Parastoo Ahmadi was seen wearing a sleeveless dress with her hair down. She called it an “imaginary concert” and wrote in the caption:

"I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I could not ignore. Singing for the land I love passionately."

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Parastoo Ahmadi’s video for which she was arrested has received almost 2 million views

While Parastoo Ahmadi continues to face legal trouble, her video performing virtually for the masses has already gone viral, garnering almost 2 million views in just four days. Furthermore, the video has received more than 77,000 likes and thousands of comments.

The Tribune reported that along with Parastoo, two other singers, Soheil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beiraghdar, who performed alongside her as part of her band, were arrested in Tehran on the same day. The charges against the two also remain unknown as of now.

The publication further reported that Parastoo’s home was raided by the authorities shortly after she released the video, and she was summoned for questioning later. Additionally, law enforcement has stated that Parastoo will be called for a trial, as she has allegedly “violated the country’s morality laws.”

As Parastoo was arrested, the social media users were reminded of recent arrests of women made by the Iranian government on charges of violating the dressing norms. A similar incident took place in 2022 when Mahnsa Amini died while in custody as she was arrested for the same reason.

Another incident took place in 2021 when a woman named Ahoo Daryaei was stripped in public for not adhering to the dress code. While social media users continue to question and comment on these incidents, the singer has yet to speak out and provide more details about her run-in with the Iranian law.