DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A female singer has been detained by Iranian authorities after she staged a virtual concert on YouTube, as confirmed by her lawyer.

Milad Panahipour, who represents the artist, reported that 27-year-old Parastoo Ahmady was arrested in Sari City, the capital of Mazandaran province, on Saturday.

Prior to her arrest, the judiciary had initiated legal action concerning Ahmady’s performance, during which she appeared dressed in a long black sleeveless and collarless gown, notably without a hijab, along with four male musicians.
Ahmady had shared her concert on YouTube just a day before her arrest, expressing her passion for music with the words: “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.”
The online event garnered over 1.4 million views soon after its release.

Panahipour conveyed his concern, indicating that they remained unaware of the specific charges against Ahmady, the circumstances of her arrest, or her current location of detention. He pledged to engage with legal authorities to seek further information on her situation.

Additionally, Panahipour reported the detention of two musicians from Ahmady’s band, Soheil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beiraghdar, who were taken into custody in Tehran on the same day.

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iranian women have faced various restrictions regarding their participation in music; initially, they were prohibited from singing entirely, and later, they were barred from performing solo in front of mixed-gender audiences. Currently, female vocalists may sing in front of male audiences only as part of a chorus or in settings restricted to women.

Iranian laws, rooted in Islamic traditions, also stipulate that women must wear a hijab in the presence of unrelated men.
The hijab, along with the traditional black chador donned by some women, has evolved into a political emblem over the years, especially after it became compulsory in the post-revolutionary era. For many devout Muslim women, the hijab represents both a commitment to faith and a sense of modesty when mingling with men outside of their familial circles.
Widespread protests erupted in Iran in 2022 following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died after being arrested by morality police for allegedly failing to wear her hijab properly. While authorities have shown some reluctance to strictly enforce the hijab regulations to prevent further unrest, recent statements from officials indicate a shift back to a more rigorous enforcement of these dress codes.