An Iranian court has initially sentenced singer and musician Hiva Seifi-Zadeh to four years in prison for “promoting corruption and indecency,” after security forces shut down her concert in Tehran.
The case dates back to February 2025, when Seifi-Zadeh performed traditional Iranian songs at a cultural center, including verses by renowned Persian poet Saadi Shirazi. Plainclothes officers stopped the concert and arrested her before she was later released on bail.
Saadi, one of the greatest figures in Persian literature, lived in the 13th century and wrote works including Bustan and Gulistan. Yet performing his poetry became part of a case that ended with a four-year prison sentence.
The ruling comes amid Iran’s restrictions on women singing solo before mixed-gender audiences. Seifi-Zadeh plans to appeal, meaning the sentence is not yet final.
