A new wave of pressure and repression against young female singers has begun in Iran. Over the past two weeks, following the arrest of Hiva Seyfizadeh, a female singer, while performing in Tehran, and her subsequent release on bail, several other female singers have been summoned and interrogated, with legal cases filed against them. Additionally, their social media accounts have been blocked by the judiciary, and they have been accused of spreading corruption and immorality.
A female singer told Femena that security agencies are constantly contacting them and summoning individuals for interrogations at security institutions. She stated that most of these singers are very young and have no experience in dealing with security pressures, making them particularly vulnerable to intimidation and coercion.
Last week, on March 5th, the sentence of Mehdi Yarrahi, one of the prominent singers of the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, was carried out. He was arrested and imprisoned for singing songs in support of women’s protests and sentenced to one year in prison with an electronic ankle monitor and 74 lashes. The execution of this sentence sparked a wave of protests, with various civil society groups condemning the enforcement of this inhumane punishment, viewing it as a continuation of the crackdown on the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
More than two years after the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, which began with the demand to abolish compulsory hijab, Iranian society is now experiencing significant changes. In addition to the noticeable increase in the presence of women in urban spaces and streets without the mandatory hijab, many public events are also witnessing the participation of women without it. Over the past week, two videos have circulated on social media showing women attending and receiving awards at a journalism prize ceremony and an architecture award ceremony without wearing the mandatory hijab. This act of defying the compulsory hijab law, despite pressure from hardline groups and judicial threats, is part of Iranian women’s civil resistance against the discriminatory hijab law, which targets women’s bodily autonomy.
Other acts of defiance, such as the emergence of a new generation of young female singers who refuse to accept restrictions and bans and who continue their work through the internet and social media, are part of the significant changes that have taken place in recent years, especially following the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. One of the most striking and historic events was a performance by Parastoo Ahmadi, who, along with a team of male musicians, performed in voluntary attire at Deir-e Gachin Caravanserai and streamed it live on YouTube. Although she and her musicians were immediately prosecuted and are now awaiting trial, her virtual concert received significant attention and support from the public, garnering 2.5 million views on YouTube.
After the Islamic Revolution, female singing was banned in Iran, prohibiting women from performing solo. Over the past 40 years, all female singers have only been permitted to sing alongside male vocalists or perform in concerts exclusively for women. This ban is a direct violation of fundamental human rights, cultural expression, and artistic freedom. It systematically silences women’s voices and erases their presence from the public musical sphere.
Femena strongly condemns the ongoing crackdown on female singers and demands an immediate end to their legal persecution. The right to artistic expression is a fundamental human right that must not be dictated by state-imposed gender restrictions. Iranian authorities must immediately cease the intimidation, interrogation, and prosecution of female singers and lift all bans on their professional activities. Furthermore, the systematic suppression of women’s artistic voices must be internationally recognized as a violation of cultural rights and gender equality.
The ban on women’s singing is one of the most regressive and reactionary laws in Iran’s legal system and must be abolished without delay. The international community, human rights organizations, and cultural institutions must apply sustained pressure on Iranian authorities to end gender-based censorship of music and uphold the right to free artistic and cultural expression for all Iranians, regardless of gender.