Iranian Grammy Award winner Shervin Hajipour has been sentenced to prison.

The song “Baraye” by Hajipour is regarded as the anthem of the “Woman – Life – Freedom” movement in Iran, which prompted mass protests against the regime following the death of the young Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022.

In a recent post on his Instagram account, Hajipour revealed that he had been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison for “inciting unrest and provoking disruption to national security.” Initially, he had anticipated that the sentence would be reduced upon appeal, but this did not materialize.

In 2023, the 27-year-old singer and songwriter was awarded a Grammy in the USA for his ballad, which serves as a compelling appeal for freedom, women’s rights, and human rights in Iran.

In a departure from tradition, an award was presented in this category for the first time. According to the Academy, only songs that address a current social issue were eligible for submission to this section. The objective of this theme is to promote understanding, peace, equality, and empathy in society.

In a video message, Hajipour asserts that his song is an entirely pacifistic portrayal of social injustices in the country and that it does not incite any form of violence, despite the accusations levied against him.

His conviction by the Iranian judiciary constitutes a clear violation of freedom of expression and artistic freedom (Articles 19 and 27 of the UN Convention on Human Rights), and serves to illustrate once again the disregard for basic human rights exhibited by the Islamic regime.

As human rights organisations, we demand the immediate annulment of the sentence against the young Iranian artist, which is devoid of any justification.

Prof. Dr. Siroos Mirzaei
Medical Professionals for Human Rights  in Iran – Austria

Dr. Behrouz Bayat
Committee for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran

Vienna, 08.03.2024