- Song “Roosarito” Leads to Mehdi Yarrahi Arrest
- Mehdi Yarrahi’s Punishment
- Tougher Laws Against the Hijab
Mehdi Yarrahi, an Iranian singer known for his song encouraging women to remove their hijabs, shared his story on Instagram on February 28. He was sentenced to prison and received 74 lashes for supporting protests in Iran, according to his lawyer.
The punishment, which was fully carried out, came after Yarrahi’s arrest in August 2023. He was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, along with 74 lashes. He served one year in prison and was also fined.
Yarrahi was accused of releasing an “illegal song” that went against the “morals and customs” of Iranian society, as reported by the state news agency IRNA. Flogging, which involves beating someone with a whip or rod on their back, is a common punishment in Iran.
He was arrested shortly after releasing his song “Roosarito,” which includes lyrics like “Take off your scarf, the sun is sinking. Take off your scarf, let your hair flow,” and “Don’t be afraid, my love! Laugh, protest against tears.” His arrest happened during protests across Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died while in custody of the Iranian morality police for allegedly not wearing her headscarf properly.
The hijab law and its strict enforcement have led to anger from human rights groups. In December, Amnesty International reported that Iranian authorities had passed even harsher laws against wearing the veil, including threats of the death penalty, flogging, and long prison sentences.
Other artists in Iran have faced similar punishments. In May of the previous year, filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging for national security charges. In 2015, two Iranian poets were given 99 lashes each for shaking hands with people of the opposite sex and were also sentenced to prison for “insulting the sacred” in their writings. These actions have been widely condemned by free speech advocates.
