Mehdi Yarrahi (43) is a popular singer/composer, a voice of conscience, outrageously made political prisoner, who lives in Iran’s capital of Tehran. For his uplifting and daring song that praised defiant women who remove their mandatory hijab (head covering) in Iran, the regime responded with a prison sentence that included a cruel whipping of 74 lashes.1 This sadistic beating of Mehdi is a real indictment of Iran’s Islamic dark ages theocratic laws based in the extreme misogyny of ancient Sharia. All those who support this vicious regime, even if rightfully to oppose the Israeli genocide in Gaza fully-backed by U.S., are complicit in perpetuating the “lesser evil” reactionary regime and foreclosing the hope for a better future expressed by many progressive artists and political prisoners in Iran.
On March 5, as the last part of his sentence, Medhi was subjected to the flogging which was intended to humiliate him and threaten any artist who stand against women’s oppression. Mehdi was unable to sit or lean back afterwards, according to his lawyer. However, far from being humiliated or cowed, he posted this defiant message on IG the next day.
You have brought glass to break our stone. Thank you for your constant support, dear ones, and the sincere companionship of the respected lawyers Mustafa Nili and Zahra Minoui. He who is not willing to pay the price of freedom does not deserve freedom. Wishing for liberation.
Artists and Activists Respond: “A Lash to an Artist is a Lash to Humanity”
Hundreds of Iranian artists, many of them inside Iran, have signed a statement titled “A lash to an artist is a lash to humanity,” condemning the flogging as “cruel and medieval”; including prominent signers such as rebel rapper Toomaj Salehi, and internationally renowned directors Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof. It said: “Mehdi Yarrahi, an honorable artist of Iranian music who has always embraced people’s pain… deserves the highest honors, not a cruel punishment like flogging… We, a group of Iran’s artistic community, warn of the social and cultural consequences of imposing punishment, pressure and disrespect on popular artists and strongly condemn such behaviour.”
Mehdi Yarrahi wrote on the day after his beating, “You have brought glass to break our stone”, quoting from a song he wrote during the 2022 uprising, “Life’s Anthem”:
You who have infamously occupied our throne,
you have brought glass to break our stone…”
Addressing the people, he goes on to sing:
Free your head from the yoke of slavery…
Behold, behold the coming morning!
Draw up a novel plan!
Strike the overturned throne!
Check out Life’s Anthem, subtitled in English, and others on his YouTube channel.
On March 14, Narges Mohammadi, herself on temporary medical furlough from Evin Prison, wrote that she and a group of activists and artists visited Mehdi Yarrahi to show their support. She wrote:
Mehdi Yarrahi is one of those artists who stand with the people of Iran, singing for them and paying the price not only through the deprivation of his art but also through imprisonment and lashes. He became the voice of the people in the powerful “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. His songs, alongside those of other protesting artists, echoed from the throats of protesters, the imprisoned, and those in captivity…
In response to recent threats by the IRI to cancel the medical leave of Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Laureate 2023, and return her to prison, more than 85 former Nobel laureates issued a joint statement calling for her immediate and unconditional release, and for all other political prisoners. Their following statement was also supported by Nobel Women’s Initiative and PEN America:
We, Nobel Laureates from across disciplines around the world, call for the full and unconditional release of our sister laureate Narges Mohammadi, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize 2023. Narges was recognized “for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all”, becoming the fifth person to be awarded the prize while in prison.
Narges Mohammadi left Tehran’s notorious Evin prison on temporary medical leave in December 2024. We have united at this moment because her freedom remains tenuous and can be revoked at any time. We call for the temporary release to become permanent. Her resilience ignites a global call to action, reminding us that the pursuit of justice and freedom knows no borders.
Narges Mohammadi, like tens of thousands of human rights defenders, opposition politicians, artists, journalists and outspoken opponents of the Iranian regime, was imprisoned on politically motivated charges. She was imprisoned in 2016, and has faced six additional trials adding over 13 years to her sentence. She has continued to be an outspoken opponent of the regime and an advocate for women’s rights even behind bars. Her tireless fight for justice embodies the spirit of resistance against tyranny.
Her struggle is not hers alone—it is a shared fight for every woman, every political prisoner, and every soul who dares to stand against oppression. [Emphasis by IEC]
“The ropes of the gallows will be torn by the powerful hands of each and every one of us. I hope for the day when execution chambers and gallows serve only as reminders of tyranny’s cruelty and as lessons for our pursuit of humanity, freedom, and equality” — Narges Mohammadi
We stand with Narges Mohammadi and with all those unjustly imprisoned for daring to envision a more just and equitable Iran and call on the international community to rise in solidarity and amplify the rallying cry that reverberates across Iran: “Women, Life, Freedom.”
Together, let us demand justice for Narges Mohammadi and for all those who defy oppression with courage, hope, and an unbreakable will. We, the undersigned Nobel laureates, demand the unconditional release and the dismissal of all charges against Narges Mohammadi.
Let the Spirit of Fearless and Selfless Resistance Spread Around the World — and Free Iran’s Political Prisoners
Yarrahi’s music stands as part of the growing resistance of writers, filmmakers and musicians to the reactionary, murderous regime. As Narges’ post speaks to, the regime’s retribution for WLF support from these artists point to the exceptional role they play in concentrating the rage of the people against injustice, expressing their common humanity, and to dreaming of a far better future for how society and people could be.
In the turbulent and threatening situation in the world today, and in the US in particular (see revcom.us), this courageous and principled stand is one which should be spread and emulated with haste and a love for the world’s oppressed humanity, including the implacable resisters to women’s oppression in Iran. Donate and actively participate in the work of the IEC today at www.freeiranspoliticalprisonersnow.org
Towards our common hopes and aspirations, we want to share the photo of the courageous IWD celebration/gathering held in Tehran on March 2, 2025:
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FOOTNOTE:
1. Three prior cases had already been filed against him on charges like "propaganda against the system" and "collusion and assembly against national security" for his protest songs. Through most of his musical career which began in 2010, Mehdi Yarrahi has dealt with social themes like pollution in Khuzestan, the Iran-Iraq war, workers’ conditions, and the struggles of women. For this he has been banned from performing several times. In the RooSarito case, the song was called “illegal and unethical” and he was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison (one year required to be served) and 74 lashes. He served much of the first year under house arrest with an ankle bracelet due to medical problems in prison.