The lawyer of Mehdi Yarrahi, a composer, protest singer, and former political prisoner, announced that her client’s sentence of 74 lashes has been carried out. This punishment was issued by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic for his performance of the protest song “Roo Sari To” (your headscarf), which he dedicated to the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising.
According to Yarrahi’s lawyer, with the execution of this sentence, Mehdi Yarrahi’s case has been closed.
A few hours after the flogging, Yarrahi posted on Instagram with the hashtag Zhina/Mahsa Amini, writing:
“You have drawn the glass to shatter our stone. Thank you for your unwavering support, dear ones, and my deepest gratitude to my esteemed lawyers, Mr. Mostafa Nili and Ms. Zahra Minouei, as well as my dear friend Mr. Kooshan Haddad. Those who are unwilling to pay a price for freedom do not deserve it. Wishing for liberation…”
Previously, on January 1, after completing a one-year prison sentence that had been converted to electronic monitoring, Yarrahi wrote on X: “I am ready to receive the sentence of 74 lashes. While I condemn this inhumane form of torture, I have no intention of requesting its cancellation.”
The news of Yarrahi’s flogging has sparked widespread reactions on social media. Many users, artists, and political and civil activists have condemned the lashing of an artist simply for voicing the people’s demands.
Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, reacted to the execution of Yarahi’s sentence on Instagram, stating: “The flogging of Mehdi Yarrahi is revenge for his support of the women of Iran. Every lash on Mehdi’s body is a whip on the proud and resilient women of Iran and the thriving, powerful soul of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.”
The human rights activist also noted that, on the eve of March 8, Yarrahi rejected the gender privilege granted to male singers and once again stood alongside protesting women and the uprising people.
Mohammadi, who has been on temporary medical leave from prison since December 4, expressed hope that women would strengthen their solidarity and resist the misogynistic religious dictatorship. She urged them to denounce the regime’s brutality against this protest artist, writing: “Mehdi Yarrahi stood up against the suppression of women’s voices—let us be his voice.”
On August 28, 2023, Mehdi Yarrahi was arrested following the release of his new protest music video, “Roosarito…”. On October 17 of the same year, he was temporarily released on bail until the completion of judicial proceedings.
His arrest sparked widespread reactions from activists and public figures. In solidarity with the protest singer, social media users shared videos of themselves dancing to Roo Sari To.
Shortly after, Mizan News Agency, the media outlet of the Islamic Republic’s judiciary, announced that a legal case had been opened against Yarrahi for releasing the song, and that “appropriate judicial action” would be taken against him. The outlet labeled Roo Sari To as “illegal and against morality and Islamic social norms.”
On January 9, 2024, Judge of the Tehran Court, sentenced Yarrahi to “two years and eight months in prison and 74 lashes.” According to Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, only the harshest punishment in a combined sentence is enforceable, meaning one year of his prison sentence was to be carried out.
Since the start of the Zhina Movement, sparked by the killing of Mahsa/Zhina Amini in the morality police’s custody, Yarrahi created four songs in solidarity with the revolutionary uprising.
In September 2022, he released Ghafez Bas with lyrics by Shahyar Ghanbari, followed by Sorood-e Zan (Women’s Anthem) a month later. Soon after, he published his third revolutionary song, Sorood-e Zendegi (Anthem of Life).
Due to his support for the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, Tehran’s Public Prosecutor’s Office issued an order banning him from financial transactions (mamnoo-al-mo’ameleh). In past years, Yarrahi had already faced temporary work bans for supporting protests against the Islamic Republic.
In December 2018, he was banned from performing and appearing in media for six months after wearing the uniform of arrested Khuzestan labor protesters on stage and releasing the protest music video Pare Sang.
In February 2020, after dedicating one of his songs, Veda’ Ba’d az Raftan (Farewell After Departure), to those killed in Iran’s November 2019 protests and making critical remarks at concerts in Ahvaz and Karaj, he was barred from continuing his artistic career.
Support
Many artists, social activists, and cultural figures have voiced their support for Mehdi Yarrahi and condemned the execution of his sentence.
Toomaj Salehi, the dissident Iranian rapper who was recently released from prison, protested the ruling in an Instagram Story video, saying, “Sometimes, wounds make a person stronger.”
Taraneh Alidoosti, the Iranian actress who was also imprisoned and banned from working for supporting the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, wrote in an Instagram Story:
“Shame on fanaticism, shame on torture, shame on violence, shame on inhumane laws, and shame on our helplessness.”
Voria Ghafouri, the former captain of Esteghlal FC who had also supported the protests, posted a photo of Mehdi Yarrahi on X, calling him a “noble human being.”
Hossein Razagh, a political activist, wrote on social media:
“These lashes of tyranny on Mehdi Yarrahi’s body were lashes on the people themselves—for being the voice of the people, the voice of a free homeland.”
Dariush, the renowned Iranian singer, also shared an image of Mehdi Yarrahi on his Instagram account, accompanied by the lyrics of his song Natarsoun (Don’t Be Afraid).
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