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Tehran-based singer Anita Papist has been sentenced to 74 lashes for “offending public decency” by Branch 1088 of the Second Criminal Court at Tehran's Ershad Judicial Complex, the musician and Iran rights groups announced over the weekend, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Papist, who posts videos of herself online singing in both English and Persian without a head covering, confirmed that her passport was confiscated and her mobile phone was blocked. The Iranian legal advocacy group Dadbaan said these punishments were “imposed solely for posting her artwork on social media.”

Coverage Comparison

The Jerusalem Post reported two related stories: one focusing on Papist's sentence and the broader treatment of female artists, and another covering the death sentence handed to Persian-language rapper Mahnam Navab Safavi. Both reports highlight what they describe as a pattern of targeting musicians by the Iranian authorities.

In the article on Papist, the Jerusalem Post detailed the sentence, Papist's response, and reactions from rights groups and activists. The report on Safavi, published a week later, covered his death sentence by a Revolutionary Court in Isfahan, the charges against him, and the circumstances of his trial.

Key Claims

  • Papist's sentence: Papist was sentenced to 74 lashes for “offending public decency” by a Tehran court. She confirmed her passport was confiscated and her phone blocked, according to the Jerusalem Post.
  • Dadbaan's response: The Iranian legal advocacy group Dadbaan said the punishments were “imposed solely for posting her artwork on social media” and argued that singing and producing music are not crimes. Dadbaan added that the sentence was “in conflict with Iran's international obligations in the field of freedom of expression, freedom of cultural activities, and the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment.”
  • Crackdown on female singers: Dadbaan said Iran has recently cracked down significantly on female singers, even illegally taking control of artists' personal social media accounts and publishing legal messages without their consent, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
  • Papist's statement: Papist, thanking her fans, reshared an image with tape over her mouth and the caption “every woman who creates with her art and deserves respect. Let's stand with artists, not against them. No injustice.” She insisted she was not interested in claiming asylum abroad and said she made her sentence public in support of fellow Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi.
  • Ahmadi's sentence: Parastoo Ahmadi, along with eight members of her production and music team, were ordered last month to be lashed 74 times by the Qom Provincial Criminal Court over allegations she offended “public decency through the production and publication of obscene and immoral content on cyberspace platforms,” according to the Jerusalem Post.
  • Safavi's death sentence: Mahnam Navab Safavi, a 22-year-old Persian-language rapper, was sentenced to death by a Revolutionary Court in Isfahan, according to human rights organizations and diaspora media reports, as cited by the Jerusalem Post.
  • Charges against Safavi: Safavi was issued the death sentence on charges including “waging war against God through participation in the destruction of public property,” as well as “propaganda against the establishment” and “assembly and collusion.” The court heard that his destruction of public property was his “writing protest slogans on walls,” according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.
  • Trial irregularities: A source told Iran International that Safavi's two lawyers were refused access to his case file and denied any opportunity to defend him. His trial was held in absentia, though he remains in detention in Isfahan Central Prison, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Perspectives

Iranian legal advocacy group Dadbaan: Argues that the sentence against Papist is unjust and conflicts with Iran's international obligations, and that singing and producing music are not crimes.

Anita Papist: Frames her sentence as part of a broader struggle for artists' rights, expressing solidarity with Parastoo Ahmadi and thanking supporters for amplifying her voice, while ruling out seeking asylum abroad.

Masih Alinejad (Iranian-American journalist): Responded to Papist's sentence by calling it "gender apartheid," as quoted by the Jerusalem Post.