The news of singer Mehdi Yarrahi’s flogging has sparked widespread reaction, but he is not the first musician to face such punishment in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution
The news of singer Mehdi Yarrahi’s flogging has sparked widespread reaction, but he is not the first musician to face such punishment in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution
The news of singer Mehdi Yarrahi’s flogging has sparked widespread reaction, but he is not the first musician to face such punishment in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
At least three other singers and one well-known musician have previously been flogged for performing music.
Zahra Minouei, Yarrahi’s lawyer, announced on Wednesday that her client’s 74-lash sentence had been “fully executed” and his case “has been closed.”
Yarrahi was convicted in January 2024 for releasing Your Headscarf (Roo Sarito), a protest song commemorating the first anniversary of Iran’s Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
The musician’s one-year prison sentence had been converted to electronic ankle monitoring, which ended in December.
Before receiving the punishment, Yarrahi said, “I am ready to receive the sentence of 74 lashes, and while I condemn this inhuman torture, I make no request to cancel it.”
His lawyer, Zahra Minouei, confirmed on social media that “the last part of the sentences issued by the Tehran Revolutionary Court had been administered.”
His punishment has drawn condemnation from numerous public figures, including actresses Taraneh Alidoosti and Hengameh Ghaziani, footballer Voria Ghafouri, and legendary singer Dariush Eghbali.
A Tehran-based music researcher who uses the pseudonym Reza for safety reasons explained, “In the early days of the revolution, singers were flogged under pretexts like alcohol consumption or attending mixed-gender parties.
“But whenever these sentences were issued and carried out, the singers were forced to commit to never sing again.”
Gol-Andam Taherkhani, known professionally as Sosan, was a famous pre-revolution singer who received the lashing punishment twice in the 1980s - 74 lashes each time.
Mehdi Zokaei, editor of Los Angeles Youth magazine, once said, “Sosan loved Iran deeply. She became depressed here [in exile].
“After being arrested twice at private gatherings and receiving lashing sentences, she considered leaving Iran.
“They had confiscated her passport, so she crossed the border illegally and lost all her money.”
Shahrokh Naderi, a veteran Iranian radio host, recounts in his memoir You and the Radio a disturbing episode from the post-1979 revolution era.
He writes that Nematollah Aghasi, a popular singer, was nearly forced out of his profession after the revolution.
At one point, he was even flogged in front of Shahr Farang cinema for a crime he had not committed.
Naderi recalls the day Aghasi came to see him, seeking his testimony. “He told me that during a gathering where some people were using opium, he was in another corner praying.
“Yet, he was arrested along with them. He wanted me, as his longtime colleague, to say and confirm that he had never been involved with drugs.”
The trial took place on Vezarat Street. A cleric had also come to testify in Aghasi’s defense. However, the young cleric presiding over the court dismissed their statements, declaring, “You cannot overturn my ruling because my judgment is the judgment of God.” Aghasi was sentenced to 80 lashes.
The Systematic Targeting of Artists
Reza, a music researcher in Iran, believes the authorities knew Aghasi was innocent but humiliated him nonetheless, labeling him a motreb(a pejorative term for entertainers) and corrupt.
“They flogged him, forced him to sign a pledge, and denied him permission to release music. He spent the rest of his life struggling to get approval for just one more album, but they never let him.”
In 2018, veteran actor Parviz Parastui recounted another case of flogging on national television. He recalled that Abbas Ghaderi, a well-known kooche-bazari (street-style) singer, had also been whipped.
He said, “I saw the judicial police leading Abbas Ghaderi away. I recognized him, but he didn’t know me. I greeted him, and he, looking deeply distressed, responded politely.
“I asked the officers where they were taking him. They said, ‘He sang at a private party last night. We’re taking him to be flogged.’
“This was a man for whom people had once thrown money at his feet, now being dragged off for lashes.”
Parastui tried to intervene, pleading with the officer responsible for administering the punishment.
“I said, ‘Maybe he did something wrong, but do you know how many people love him? For the sake of the joy he’s brought them, don’t do this.’”
The officer refused, saying, “We must carry out the sentence. The only thing we can do is make it a Quranic flogging - meaning we’ll hold a Quran in hand so that the lashes land more lightly.”
The Most Shocking Case: Parviz Meshkatian
One of the most harrowing accounts of flogging was shared by the legendary poet Houshang Ebtehaj (Sayeh) in 2020.
He recalled the case of Parviz Meshkatian, the celebrated musician and composer, who was sentenced to 100 lashes.
Sayeh was unsure whether Meshkatian was arrested for drinking alcohol or simply for carrying a musical instrument.
He said, “After the flogging, something strange happened. Someone pointed out that a mistake had been made - he had received 101 lashes instead of 100.
“So they told Meshkatian, ‘You are allowed to deliver one lash to the man who flogged you.’ Meshkatian, writhing in pain, responded in his Khorasani accent, ‘I am a human, and a human does not whip another human.’
“I wasn’t there, but I was told that the flogger broke down in tears.”
Arazoo Jalilzadeh, a 46-year-old Kurdish teacher from Sardasht, has been arrested by government forces
Arazoo Jalilzadeh, a 46-year-old Kurdish teacher from Sardasht, has been arrested by government forces
Arazoo Jalilzadeh, a 46-year-old Kurdish teacher from Sardasht, has been arrested by government forces.
The arrest reportedly took place on Monday at her father’s home in Sardasht.
Authorities used violence during the detention operation, according to a report from the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.
No information has been made available about her location, condition, or the charges against her.
Jalilzadeh teaches at high schools in Sardasht, and the reasons for her detention remain unclear, as authorities have not released any statement regarding the case.