Mazandaran: Parastoo Ahmadi, Singer Opposing Mandatory Hijab, Arrested by Security Forces
Hengaw: Saturday, December 14, 2024
Parastoo Ahmadi, a Gilak singer from Nowshahr in Mazandaran province, who recently gained attention on social media for sharing a video of her performance without adhering to the mandatory hijab, was arrested by security forces in Mazandaran province and transferred to an undisclosed location.
According to the report received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Saturday, December 14, 2024, 27-year-old singer Parastoo Ahmadi from Nowshahr was arrested by security forces in Mazandaran and has been transferred to an unknown location.
Milad Panahi-Pour, lawyer, confirmed the arrest in an interview with the Emtedad Telegram channel, stating:
"Since around noon today, we have had no information about the condition of my client, Ms. Parastoo Ahmadi. Unfortunately, we learned that she was arrested in Mazandaran today. This is despite the judiciary previously announcing the formation of a legal case, and we were waiting for the legal process to proceed."
The lawyer also referenced the situation of musicians arrested from the Caravan concert, adding:
"As previously announced by the judiciary, legal cases have been filed for all individuals, including my client, Ms. Parastoo Ahmadi. Unfortunately, this evening, two musicians, Ehsan Beiraghdar and Soheil Faghih-Nassiri, were arrested at their music school in Tehran."
He further addressed the status of two other musicians from the group, Amin Taheri and Amirali Pirnia, noting that no precise information regarding their whereabouts or fate has been made available. Considering the judiciary’s reaction to the group’s live performance, the possibility of additional arrests among the group members cannot be ruled out.
On Wednesday, December 11, a concert featuring Parastoo Ahmadi took place at a caravanserai without adherence to the mandatory hijab. The event was live-streamed on YouTube and received significant attention from viewers.
The Iranian Judiciary announced the following day, December 12, that "following the release of a so-called concert held at a caravanserai on social media" and "a musical performance by a group led by a woman without observing legal and religious guidelines," a legal case has been filed.
