Iran shuts Instagram pages of several female singers over ‘criminal content’
Iranian authorities have shut down the Instagram pages belonging to several female singers in Iran’s Mazandaran province over the past few days, according to local media.
Iranian authorities have shut down the Instagram pages belonging to several female singers in Iran’s Mazandaran province over the past few days, according to local media.
The accounts of Mandana Akbarzadeh, Azadeh Kebriya, Zeinab Berimani, and Fatereh Hamidi have been taken offline, displaying a message that reads: “This page has been blocked due to the production of criminal content."
The message displayed in the closed pages also says: "Warning: Users’ criminal activities are being monitored.”
The crackdown comes as part of a broader effort to limit the visibility of women vocalists, whose performances have been banned in public settings since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Islamic Republic has banned women from singing or dancing in public and enforces the Islamic veil or hijab on women.
Despite the official ban, female singers in Iran continue to find ways to share their music—whether in private gatherings, underground performances, or online.
One such artist, Zara Esmaeili, gained widespread attention last year when a video of her singing Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black went viral. However, shortly after the video gained traction in July, Esmaeili was arrested on August 1.
The restrictions on female artists have escalated since the protests following Mahsa Amini’s death in custody in 2022 over hijab, as many female performers supported the demonstrations. Several have been arrested or barred from professional activities.
Artistic defiance has become a hallmark of Iran’s protest movements, with musicians such as Shervin Hajipour, Mehdi Yarrahi, Saman Yasin, and Toomaj Salehi facing arrest for their roles in mobilizing dissent.
