Iranian Appeals Court Reduces Penalty for Female Singer Hiwa Sefizadeh
Tehran's appeals court freed Hiwa Sefizadeh from jail, imposing a fine under $200 and three months of community service for a public-morality violation.
Following intense public outcry, Tehran’s appellate court annulled the imprisonment of vocalist Hiwa Sefizadeh, substituting it with a monetary penalty of less than $200 and a three-month community-service order for violating public-morality standards. The original conviction related to a February 2025 performance with a Persian classical ensemble that was stopped by security forces, as female solo singing in public is generally prohibited in Iran.
Sefizadeh shared a message from her attorney on Instagram confirming the sentence reduction and voiced a wish for an era when voices are no longer silenced. The case drew support from the cultural sector, with Hamid Reza Noorbakhsh, director of the Persatuan Artis House of Music, arguing that no religious or legal rule outright bans women from singing. The court’s decision marks a rare concession amid Iran’s strict regulations on female performers.
