Key Facts

• Parastoo Ahmadi and eight other artists were sentenced to 74 lashes.
• They also received two-year bans on leaving Iran and on artistic activities.
• The court accused them of offending public decency via online content.
• Ahmadi performed a patriotic song without a hijab in a 2024 livestream.
• She and other musicians were briefly detained but later released.
• Human rights groups say flogging is considered torture and illegal under international law.
• Critics say singing and performing music by women is not a crime under Iranian law.
• The ruling reflects ongoing repression against artists and cultural dissent in Iran.