HRANA: Zara Ismaili, a young artist, was arrested 9 days ago and her family still has no information about her whereabouts

Zara Ismaili, a young artist from Karaj, whose performances without mandatory hijab have been shared multiple times on social media, has been in a state of 'uncertainty' for 9 days since her arrest. According to HRANA, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, a source close to Ms. Ismaili's family reported that she was arrested on the 5th of Mordad (July 27) at her home by security forces, and her family has no information about the reason for her arrest, the charges against her, or even her place of detention. HRANA noted that this 29-year-old artist had attempted to prevent the arrest of one of her friends by the Tehran security police a day before her own arrest, during which the officers reacted violently towards her. Zara Ismaili has performed extensively in Ekbatan, Bagh Ferdows in Tehran, and the metro. The powerful voice of this young artist and her performances of songs by Haydeh and Amy Winehouse, the late British singer, have been well received by the public. The Islamic Republic's treatment of women, especially regarding optional hijab, has intensified since the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests that erupted following the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini in police custody. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in his Eid al-Fitr sermon on the 22nd of Farvardin (April 10), issued a new command to the 'commanders of virtue,' whom he had previously described as 'fire at will,' asking them to 'deal with religious violations.' Since then, the Iranian authorities have deployed police and plainclothes forces in various cities under the 'Noor Plan,' but despite widespread arrests, civil resistance by women against repression and violence continues. The intensification of restrictions on mandatory hijab has been met with widespread criticism from human rights organizations. Amnesty International, in an open letter to the Iranian authorities published on the 19th of Ordibehesht (May 9), called on the Islamic Republic to end the punishment of Iranian women and girls for defying these laws by abolishing mandatory hijab regulations. Amnesty also requested the unconditional release of all those detained for non-compliance with mandatory hijab. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also issued a statement on the 17th of Ordibehesht, calling for more sanctions against Iranian officials, including security officials, in light of the increasing repression of women and girls in Iran for 'defying' mandatory hijab laws. The statement noted that the United States, in coordination with its allies, has imposed sanctions on the Iranian government for military actions and cyber operations and must now hold Iranian officials accountable for human rights abuses supported by international law.