Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi could be facing legal action after giving an online concert on Wednesday without adhering to Iran’s strict Islamic dress code, local media reported.
The singer streamed her concert live, not wearing the mandatory hijab and with no live audience, on her YouTube channel. In the video, she appears with her hair uncovered and bare-shouldered in a long, black dress.
Following her concert, the judiciary news agency, Mizan, said on Thursday that the concert “did not comply with the country’s legal and cultural standards.” The statement did not specify what charges might be raised against Ahmadi.
Ahmadi rose to prominence in the Iranian feminist movement around 2022-2023, using videos of her songs performed indoors to protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022.
Amini died while in the custody of Iran’s “morality police” after being arrested in Tehran for not wearing her hijab properly. Reports suggested Amini succumbed to her injuries after being subjected to torture.
Following her death, protests broke out nationwide and attracted international support from feminist movements worldwide.
To stifle the rising dissent, the Iranian government abolished the morality police and promised to implement less strict measures against women’s dress code.
However, the government backtracked on these promises passing a new hijab law. The new legislation, released earlier this month, has implemented stricter measures against women, including requirements to “establish ‘popular’ groups tasked with issuing verbal and written warnings to individuals who fail to comply with the new law,” Iran Sight reported.