Iranian female singer arrested mid-performance

On Thursday night, Iranian singer Hiva Seyfizadeh was arrested during a live performance in Tehran after security forces raided the venue. The concert, which featured a mixed-gender audience, directly defied Iran's strict gender-segregation laws.

The laws, rooted in Iran's theocratic system, prohibit women from singing solo in front of men and mandate the wearing of hijabs in public spaces.

Although these restrictions have been in place for years, recent performances by female artists have increasingly challenged the legal and cultural boundaries surrounding women’s rights in Iran. Seyfizadeh’s concert, which had received official authorization, was interrupted by a raid conducted by security forces, who were accompanied by four female officers.

According to music journalist Bahman Babazadeh, the venue had been granted permission to host the event, but this did not prevent the unexpected crackdown.

Eyewitnesses reported to Iran International, under the condition of anonymity, that men were present in the audience - a clear violation of the theocratic law. The concert organizers also restricted attendees from recording the event, likely to prevent any online dissemination of the controversial performance.

In the wake of the arrest, the venue, Emarat Rooberoo, announced via Instagram that it would remain closed until further notice, though it remains unclear whether the closure was imposed by authorities or preemptively by the organizers.

Seyfizadeh's arrest is the latest in a series of actions against female performers who defy the Islamic Republic's oppressive regulations on women's public presence and artistic expression. The singer, who has previously been a vocal supporter of anti-government protests, made headlines last year for performing without a hijab as a show of solidarity with demonstrators.

This incident follows a broader crackdown on female singers, such as in December when Parastoo Ahmadi was arrested for livestreaming a concert without the mandatory hijab. The Iranian judiciary condemned Ahmadi's performance, accusing it of breaching Sharia law and declaring that action would be taken against both the singer and the production team. Despite efforts to censor the event, Ahmadi’s performance - known as the "Caravanserai Concert" - went viral, gaining more than 1.5 million views in just three days despite the regime’s heavy restrictions on internet access and social media.