Iranian musician flogged 74 times over protest song in support of women's rights
March 6 (UPI) -- Iranian musician Mehdi Yarrahi received 74 lashes as part of his sentence a song supporing women's rights and opposes the Middle Eastern country's draconian hijab laws, his lawyer said.
Yarrahi, a singer-songwriter known for his protest music, was arrested in late August 2023 and sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, with one year enforceable, along with a fine and 74 lashes.
In December, Yarrahi was released after completing his one-year sentence. On Wednesday, he received the remaining 74 lashes, his lawyer, Zahra Minuei, confirmed in a Farsi-language statement.
"Today ... the last part of the sentence ... was fully and completely implemented," Minuei said. "Mr. [Yarrahi's] case was closed."
According to Iran activist-run Human Rights News Agency, Yarrahi was arrested on charges of spreading propaganda against the regime, encouraging corruption and depravity and producing and distributing immoral content, among others, following the release of his song, "Roo Sarito," which translates to "Your Headscarf" in English.
The Tehran regime deemed the song "unlawful" and "contrary to the values and norms of Islamic society, HRANA reported following Yarrahi's arrest, citing Mizan, the news agency of Iran's judiciary.
His arrest came ahead of the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died in police custody after being detained for violating Iran's hijab laws and beatedn.
Amini's death sparked mass women-led protests, which Yarrahi supported.
"You brought glass to break our stone," Yarrahi said in a statement published to his X account on Wednesday thanking Minuei and others who had supported him.
"Whoever is not willing to pay the price for freedom is not worthy of it. Wishing for liberation..."
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi described Yarrahi's flogging as retaliation for his support of Iranian women.
"May we, as women, protest the regime's brutality against a dissenting artist, strengthening the chain of solidarity and putting an end to the misogynistic religious tyranny," she said on X.
"Mehdi Yarrahi stood against the suppression of women's voices -- let us be his voice."
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