IN a live streamed concert sang the singer and composer Parastoo Ahmadi on Wednesday in Iran – without a veil and wearing a black, sleeveless dress. The performance, which was performed in front of an empty audience, has in less than three days received over 1.4 million views on YouTube and spread online.
Opposition Iranians and human rights experts have praised the artist for her courage.
The Iranian authorities, on the other hand, describe it as “an illegal concert”. And a case has been opened against the artist and the team behind the production, writes ABC News. According to the Iranian news agency Mizan – which has links to the judiciary – the gig does not comply with the country’s legal and cultural rules.
On Friday, the new law on “promoting the culture of chastity and hijab” will have entered into force, according to Iran’s president. The tightening of the law on 74 points means that women risk up to 15 years in prison, whipping and even the death penalty, according to Amnesty International.
“Extremely draconian”
But it is still unclear whether it applies, says Rouzbeh Parsi, program manager at the Middle East and North Africa program at the Institute for Foreign Policy. This is because President Masoud Pezeshkian has refused to sign the law.
– The president is trying to stand his ground, and especially those who voted for him expect him to prevent the bill from becoming law, because it is an extremely draconian bill that goes against where society is at, says Parsi.
– In the next few weeks, months we will see if it will be applied at all and if so how, and what the reaction will be.
In November, another video featuring an Iranian woman went viral. This after she walked around in her underwear on a university campus, according to reports after a confrontation with members of the religious volunteer militia Basj. She was reportedly taken to a psychiatric hospital, but what has happened to her since then is unclear.
After the event Iran has announced plans on setting up a “treatment clinic” for women who defy the veil compulsion.