Iranian Singer Mehdi Yarrahi Receives 74 Lashes Over Protest Song
Mehdi Yarrahi sentenced as part of an agreement to resolve a criminal case related to his activism against Iran's dress code.
Mehdi Yarrahi, a prominent Iranian singer known for his protest songs and advocacy against the country’s strict dress code for women, has been sentenced to 74 lashes as part of an agreement to conclude a criminal case against him.
Yarrahi was convicted in January 2024 for unlawfully releasing a protest song entitled 'Your Headscarf' on the first anniversary of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' uprising which began in 2022.
In the months following his conviction, Yarrahi also faced a one-year prison sentence, which was later converted to electronic ankle monitoring.
This monitoring concluded in December 2023, allowing for his release under the condition that a third party posted a bail of 15 billion tomans, contingent on his acceptance of the flogging sentence, which was executed this week.
Prior to the administration of the lashes, Yarrahi publicly expressed his readiness to accept the punishment, while denouncing it as inhumane on social media platform X. His lawyer, Zahra Minouei, confirmed the execution of the sentencing, drawing attention to the response on Iranian social media, which included widespread outrage at the archaic nature of the punishment.
Yarrahi has garnered significant support on social media, amassing over one million followers on Instagram.
He has previously used his music to express solidarity with the women protesting against the oppressive actions of the state.
In a later post, Yarrahi thanked his supporters and expressed his view that individuals unwilling to pay the price for freedom do not deserve it.
The response from the activist community has been strong, with notable figures such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and human rights campaigner Masih Alinejad condemning the lashes as acts of revenge against support for Iranian women.
Alinejad highlighted the potential for increased activism among women in response to such state-sanctioned violence.
In a broader context, reports indicated that at least 131 individuals were sentenced to a combined total of 9,957 lashes by the Iranian judiciary in 2024, as documented by the Human Rights Activists News Agency, an Iranian non-governmental organization advocating for human rights.
This highlights ongoing concerns about human rights practices in Iran and the treatment of dissenting voices.
Yarrahi was convicted in January 2024 for unlawfully releasing a protest song entitled 'Your Headscarf' on the first anniversary of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' uprising which began in 2022.
In the months following his conviction, Yarrahi also faced a one-year prison sentence, which was later converted to electronic ankle monitoring.
This monitoring concluded in December 2023, allowing for his release under the condition that a third party posted a bail of 15 billion tomans, contingent on his acceptance of the flogging sentence, which was executed this week.
Prior to the administration of the lashes, Yarrahi publicly expressed his readiness to accept the punishment, while denouncing it as inhumane on social media platform X. His lawyer, Zahra Minouei, confirmed the execution of the sentencing, drawing attention to the response on Iranian social media, which included widespread outrage at the archaic nature of the punishment.
Yarrahi has garnered significant support on social media, amassing over one million followers on Instagram.
He has previously used his music to express solidarity with the women protesting against the oppressive actions of the state.
In a later post, Yarrahi thanked his supporters and expressed his view that individuals unwilling to pay the price for freedom do not deserve it.
The response from the activist community has been strong, with notable figures such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and human rights campaigner Masih Alinejad condemning the lashes as acts of revenge against support for Iranian women.
Alinejad highlighted the potential for increased activism among women in response to such state-sanctioned violence.
In a broader context, reports indicated that at least 131 individuals were sentenced to a combined total of 9,957 lashes by the Iranian judiciary in 2024, as documented by the Human Rights Activists News Agency, an Iranian non-governmental organization advocating for human rights.
This highlights ongoing concerns about human rights practices in Iran and the treatment of dissenting voices.
