Iranian singer arrested over his song "for" messages by protesters
Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour was arrested on Thursday after his song "Baraye" (meaning "for" in English) went viral on social media and was played millions of times in a matter of days, independent Iranian news outlet Iran Wire reported.
VİDEO HABER | İranlı müzisyen Shervin Hajipour, Mahsa Amini için atılmış Farsça tweetlerden şarkı yaptı.
— serbestiyet (@serbestiyetweb) September 28, 2022
Her tweet “için” anlamına gelen “Baraye” kelimesiyle başlayan şarkının klibi sosyal medyada viral oldu. pic.twitter.com/4HkByzj0QL
The lyrics are based on social media messages by people who have told why they joined street protests after Mahsa Amini's death in custody. Amini had been arrested by the so-called "morality police" on 13 September for violating dressing rules, and died on 16 September, allegedly after she was subjected to police brutality. Shervin's song is "for" these messages.
Segments of the lyrics read:
"For being able to dance in the street... For not having to fear kissing my beloved in public... For my sister, for your sister, for our sisters... For a normal life..."
While the protests continue in Iran, state media has been voicing claims that various "agents" are behind the protests.
IRNA said on Friday that "49 MKO agents have been arrested," with reference to the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, also known as Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO).
It added that a further "77 members of grouplets in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, five members of takfiri-terrorist, 92 people affiliated with the Pahlavi regime, and nine foreign nationals from Germany, Poland, Italy, France, Holland, Sweden, etc." were arrested "in the riots or behind the scenes of the conspiracy."
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had said on Wednesday that "the enemies have targeted Iran's territorial integrity and national sovereignty by creating differences among the Iranians."
