Iran Human Rights Campaign: Five Months of Uncertainty Regarding Zara Esmaeili's Status

The Iran Human Rights Campaign reported on Zara Esmaeili, a female artist and singer in Iran, stating that it has been five months since her arrest for posting videos of herself singing without mandatory hijab in the Tehran metro, and there is no information regarding her fate, place of detention, or charges against her. This human rights organization wrote on social media platform 'X' that the 29-year-old artist was arrested on July 27 after her street performance videos without mandatory hijab gained widespread attention on social media. Previously, the news website Hrana, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, reported, citing a source close to Zara Esmaeili's family, that she was arrested at her home by security forces, and her family has no information about the reason for her arrest, the charges, or even her place of detention. The Iran Human Rights Campaign pointed out that in Iran, women are prohibited from singing solo in public and appearing without mandatory hijab, making Zara Esmaeili's public performance a 'bold act of protest against the oppressive laws of the Islamic Republic.' The young artist has performed extensively in Ekbatan, Bagh Ferdows in Tehran, and the metro. Her powerful voice and performances of songs by Haydeh and Amy Winehouse have been well-received by the public. Since the 1979 Revolution, the Islamic Republic authorities have prevented women from singing in Iran as part of government policies. In this context, one can refer to the treatment of another young singer, Parastoo Ahmadi. Additionally, the government-affiliated news agency Mizan reported on December 13 that following a 'hypothetical concert in a caravanserai' that was circulated on social media, a legal case was opened due to 'a group performing a piece of music with a woman singing without adhering to legal and religious standards.' The 'Caravan Concert' took place in a historical location using symbols such as Persian carpets and included performances of several well-known old songs. Among them, Parastoo Ahmadi performed the famous piece 'Kiss Me' alongside Ehsan Birgadar, Soheil Faghih Nasiri, Amin Taheri, and Amir Ali Pirnia. This concert, held on December 12 in one of Iran's caravanserais, was performed without mandatory hijab and its live broadcast on YouTube became one of the most viewed events reflected in Iranian social media, garnering attention and admiration from many social media users. Ms. Ahmadi explained her performance of this concert on the YouTube channel broadcasting the work: 'I, Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I could not overlook; singing for the land I love dearly.' Parastoo Ahmadi also performed the piece 'From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland' during the nationwide protests in 2022 in Iran, and after widespread public support for this action, she was summoned by security agencies in October 2023, and a case was opened against her. The underground concert video of Hana Kamkar in Tehran, the blocking of Zara Esmaeili's Instagram page by the Islamic Republic's judiciary, praise for Parastoo Ahmadi's 'courage' by users; a legal case was opened, Kaveh Yaghmaei: Iranian artists must choose whether they are with the people or the government, the issuance of a 'three billion tomans' bail for Parastoo Ahmadi.