The Iranian singer, who performed in protest without a hijab, was arrested after publishing a video of her concert. Parasta Ahmadi's arrest was reported by her lawyer Milad Panahipour, UNN reports citing Bild.
Details
The artist was detained on Saturday in the city of Sari, the capital of the northern province of Mazenderan.
On Thursday, judicial authorities filed charges against Ahmadi for her performance at the concert. She appeared in a long black dress with no sleeves or collar, and no hijab. She was accompanied by four male musicians.
Iran introduces new harsh penalties for violation of hijab rules14.12.24, 00:27 • [views_16068]
Ahmadi posted her performance on YouTube the day before and said: "I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I could not give up. I sing for the country I love very much." The concert was viewed over 1.6 million times.
The lawyer said that he did not know the specific charges against Ahmadi, the place of her detention, or who arrested her, but "we will continue to investigate this through the judicial authorities." He also said that two musicians from Ahmadi's band were arrested in Tehran on Saturday.
Add
After the Islamic Revolution and the rise of the mullahs in Iran in 1979, women were first completely banned from singing. This was followed by a ban on performing for mixed audiences or solo dancing.
Female singers can only perform for male audiences as part of a choir. However, they may sing to female audiences in specially designated halls.
According to Iranian and Islamic law, women are also prohibited from appearing in front of unrelated men without a hijab.