Singer Parastoo Ahmadi and Musicians Charged Over Virtual Concert

Parastoo Ahmadi, a singer, along with musicians previously arrested for holding an virtual concert, were summoned to Tehran’s District 38 Morality Court today to face charges. They were released on bail after the hearing.

Ahmadi’s bail was set at 3 billion tomans, while each musician’s bail was set at 2 billion tomans. The specific charges against them have not been disclosed.

Background on the Case

Ahmadi, pianist Ehsan Beyraghdar, and electric guitarist Soheil Faghih-Nasiri recently staged an audience-free concert streamed live on Ahmadi’s YouTube channel. The concert, which took place in an old caravanserai, sparked judicial action against them.

Shortly after the concert, Ahmadi and the two musicians were arrested. Tasnim News Agency reported that the head of the Information Center for Mazandaran’s Police Command accused Ahmadi of “producing and disseminating videos that violate societal norms and values,” leading to her summons by Public Security Police and subsequent referral to the judiciary.

On December 14, the two musicians were released on bail, followed by Ahmadi at 3 a.m. the following day.

About Parastoo Ahmadi

Parastoo Ahmadi, 27, is a singer and graduate of directing from Soore University. She gained recognition during the 2022 protests with her rendition of “Az Khoon-e Javanan-e Vatan” by Aref Qazvini. Ahmadi’s repertoire includes a variety of musical works, such as renditions of Mazandaran folk songs and pieces by Baba Taher and Akhavan Sales.

Symbolic Concert in Caravanserai Leads to Legal Action Against Parastoo Ahmadi and Crew

On December 11, Parastoo Ahmadi, a female singer, performed a symbolic concert with a group of musicians in an old caravanserai. The concert, held without an audience, was broadcast live on her YouTube channel. The event drew significant attention and praise on social media but also provoked a response from the Judiciary, which announced legal action against Ahmadi and the concert’s production team.

The Judiciary alleged that the performance violated “legal and religious standards” due to the participation of a female singer and cited the absence of proper authorization.

In a statement, the Judiciary Media Center said: “A video titled ‘Symbolic Concert’ was published online, showing a music performance led by a female singer without observing the country’s legal and religious standards. The clip, which lacked official authorization and failed to comply with cultural and legal regulations, has prompted judicial intervention. Legal cases have been filed against the singer and the production team for appropriate action.”

Parastoo Ahmadi, a dissenting singer based in Tehran, is known for her critical and protest-oriented works, including addressing issues such as the suppression of free speech and the killing of demonstrators. She has faced previous legal actions for her activities.