Who is Zara Esmaeili? Iranian artist arrested for singing without hijab in public
Zara Esmaeili
A youngIranian woman namedZara Esmaeili has been arrested and jailedfor singing a song in public without wearing the mandatory hijab.Esmaeili gained prominence after videos of her singing and expressing her artistic freedom without the hijab went viral on social media, prompting the security agencies in the highly conservative country to take action.
According to a report in theMirror,Esmaeili was singingAmy Winehouse's song 'Back to Black' last month and the video went viral on Instagram. She was taken into custody last week, with no information available about her whereabouts or condition.
Iranian media outlets reported thatEsmaeili's family was in despair and despite their best efforts, had been unable to locate her.
Faravaz Farvardin, Iranian singer and the founder of the Berlin-based Right to Sing Campaign condemned the arrest.
"Zara, an Iranian female singer, is imprisoned in the Tehran Central Detention Center (Fashafoueh) for the crime of singing in public," saidFarvardin.
"She is under the pressure of the interrogators to admit connection with activists and musicians outside Iran.This claim is a lie and made by the think tank of the Islamic Republic."
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Watch |Iran accuses 20 nations of backing anti-Hijab protests
September 2022 protests
Esmaeili's arrest could be a pre-emptive attempt by the Iranian government to cull any form of resistance after events of two years ago.Notably, Iran witnessed nationwide anti-government protests in September 2022 following the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, in custody.
Amini was arrested by the morality police in Tehran for "unsuitable attire" which unleashed anger over issues including freedom in the Islamic Republic and an economy reeling from sanctions.
The men also joined the protestswhich became one of the greatestchallenges that the Iranian clerical leadership hadfaced since the 1979 revolution.
Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khamenei, gave a free hand to the authorities to subdue the protests. Subsequently, thousands were arrested across the country while many were killed in rather clandestine ways.
Earlier this year, a BBC report claimed that 16-year-old, Nika Shakarami, who led the protests in its initial phase, was sexually assaulted and beaten to death by Iranian security officials.
Her dead body was recovered nine days after her disappearance and a government-initiated probe had stated that she killed herself by suicide.
(With inputs from agencies)