Keystone
The Iranian musician Parastu has broken several taboos in the Islamic Republic: she sang without a headscarf, in a dress and published the concert on YouTube – now the young woman has been arrested for it, as have two members of her band. Her lawyer Milad Panahipur reported that the singer was arrested in the north of the country and the two musicians in their music studio in the capital Tehran. The three are in a place unknown to him and have no contact with the outside world, he told the internet portal “Emtedad”.
People at home and abroad had praised the woman in online media for her courageous initiative. The background: many women in Iran are dissatisfied with the strict Islamic laws and dress codes. In the fall of 2022, masses took to the streets against the repressive policies under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom”, but the demonstrations were violently suppressed.
Many women in the major cities are now resisting the Islamic dress code, in particular the compulsory headscarf, in protest. The parliament, which is dominated by Islamic hardliners, now wants to take action against this with a new law and draconian punishments.
Swiss
