Shervin Hajipour was also sentenced to eight months in prison for “propaganda against the regime.” (document)
Tehran, Iran:
An Iranian pop singer whose song became the national anthem during mass protests more than a year ago has been sentenced to at least three years in prison, he said on Friday.
Shervin Hajipour, 26, wrote and published “Baraye” during nationwide demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in custody in September 2022.
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, was arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women.
Shervin Hajipour said on his Instagram page on Friday that he had been sentenced to three years in prison for “inciting and provoking people to riot and disrupting national security.”
He was also sentenced to eight months in prison for “propaganda against the regime.”
It was unclear when the verdict would be released, and it was not reported elsewhere.
Under Iranian law, the prison terms run concurrently, meaning Shervin Hajipour will serve three years in prison.
In March 2023, “Baraye” was played at the White House celebration of Nowruz (Persian New Year).
A month ago, US First Lady Jill Biden awarded Shervin Hajipur a Special Grammy Award for Best Social Change Song, calling the song a “powerful and poetic call for freedom and women’s rights.”
Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, it has been compulsory for women in Iran to cover their neck and head since 1983.
Mahsa Amini’s death sparked months of protests that left hundreds dead, including dozens of security force personnel, and thousands arrested.
Shervin Hajipour was briefly arrested during the protest.
In January, an Iranian court sentenced another pop star who criticized mandatory headscarves for women to one year in prison.
Mehdi Yelashi’s lawyer said his sentence was changed from prison to home confinement because of his health problems.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
