This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
On July 5, 2019, British singer-songwriter Joss Stone was deported from Iran after being denied entry into the country.
Stone had arrived at Kish airport, where she was held by authorities who suspected she was planning to perform a public gig.
Women have been banned from singing solo in public in Iran since the Islamic revolution of 1979.
Stone acknowledged the ban in a post on her Instagram account, writing, "We were aware there couldn’t be a public concert as I am a woman and that is illegal in this country."
She had hoped to perform her 200th concert as part of her ambitious 'Total World Tour', which has seen her play in various countries including war-torn Libya and South Sudan.
Despite being denied entry, Stone expressed gratitude towards the Iranian immigration officials, describing them as "genuinely nice kind people that felt bad that they couldn’t override the system."
