Iran’s Supreme Court has upheld a sentence of 99 lashes for actor and former national footballer Pejman Jamshidi, convicted of “illicit relations” in a case that began with rape allegations.
Case background
The case became public in October 2025 when Jamshidi, a former Persepolis and Iran “Team Melli” right-winger turned award-winning film star, was arrested after Melika Parsadoust filed a criminal complaint. He was initially accused of rape and kidnapping, sparking a backlash in Iran’s entertainment world.
Jamshidi reportedly left Iran for Canada and Turkey amid the fallout before returning and facing hearings earlier this year. He was acquitted of rape, but the court ruled that an unlawful extramarital relationship had taken place.
Court decision
The conviction was handled under Article 637 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, which criminalises “illicit relations short of adultery” and allows for a penalty of up to 99 lashes, Iran Wire reported. According to news outlet Emtedad, both the trial court and the Supreme Court imposed the 99-lash sentence solely on Jamshidi.
Parsadoust stated that the binding decision proves that the “false narratives” surrounding the case were completely baseless, as per Iran Wire. She said the ruling doesn’t undo the physical and emotional damage she allegedly endured, but that having it confirmed in court that the relationship was “non-consensual” matters hugely to her.
Related case
It comes after Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi was sentenced to 74 lashes for performing in a concert two years ago – without a hijab. Ahmadi's concert in 2024 was livestreamed on YouTube, the Daily Star previously reported. She performed haunting, mournful songs to an empty space on a dimly lit stage, decorated only with a large Persian carpet at a traditional caravanserai complex, backed by a pianist, drummer, guitarist and bassist, who were all dressed in black.
