She wanted to sing for her loved ones, she was arrested for not wearing a headscarf

Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmedi was arrested on Saturday following a concert she gave on YouTube without a headscarf. Her lawyer, Milad Panahipor, confirmed that Ahmedi was detained in Mazandaran province. Ahmedi's lawyer said, “We did not know my client's situation until noon today. Unfortunately, we learned that she has been arrested.” It was reported that Ihsan Birghidar and Suheyl Fakih Nasiri from Ahmedi's music group were also arrested.

With the concert she gave on Wednesday, Ahmedi opposed the strict moral laws against women in Iran. In Iran, not only is it mandatory for women to wear a headscarf, but it is also forbidden for women to sing in public. At the beginning of the concert, Ahmedi said, “I want to sing for my loved ones. This is a right I can no longer ignore. I am singing for these lands that I love.”

SHARED WIDELY DESPITE BANS

The concert was held in an environment without an audience and was broadcast live on YouTube. Despite the restrictions on YouTube access in Iran, the concert was watched 74 thousand times within 12 hours of being published.

Following the widespread sharing of the concert on the internet, Ahmedi's home was raided by security forces and she was detained. It was reported that Ahmedi's statement was taken at the Tehran Prosecutor's Office.

Iranian authorities announced that Ahmedi would be tried immediately after the broadcast of the concert. Local media reported that Ahmedi's performance without a headscarf and her singing were considered an open challenge to Iran's moral laws.

PROTESTS ARE INCREASING

Protests by women against moral laws in Iran are increasing. Another protest took place about two months ago at Azad University in Tehran.

In a video that spread on social media at the beginning of November, Mahla Daryaei, whom her friends call 'Ahoo', was allegedly beaten by militias close to the Iranian government.

After this incident, Daryaei took off her clothes and protested the government in her underwear.

Daryaei, who was detained after the incident, was hospitalized in a mental institution for a while and was later released without any charges being filed against her.