Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has lost her appeal against a sentence of 74 lashes for performing without a hijab in a YouTube concert. The case draws attention to Iran’s restrictions on women singing in public and the enforcement of compulsory hijab rules.

Ahmadi, 29, performed a patriotic song in December 2024 with a four-man band and no audience present; the video has since received millions of views. A court in Qom convicted her and eight other musicians of offences including offending public decency, imposing flogging, two-year travel bans and bans on artistic work. Her lawyers said the appeal court upheld the ruling without a hearing, despite their view that the concert was not a crime.