Iranian protest singer Mehdi Yarrahi received 74 lashes on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at the Fourth Branch of the Morality Security Prosecutor’s Office in Tehran, according to his lawyer, Zahra Minouei. In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), she confirmed that the sentence had been fully carried out and that Yarrahi’s case was now closed.
Yarrahi was arrested in September 2023 after releasing his protest song “Rosarito” and was later sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to two years and eight months in prison and 74 lashes. While one year of his prison sentence was enforced, he was later placed under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor due to health concerns. In recent weeks, he publicly stated that he would not appeal against the flogging sentence and was prepared to endure it.
The singer, known for his support of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement through songs like “Sorood-e Zan” (The Women’s Anthem) and “Rosarito”, took to social media after the flogging, writing: “Those who are unwilling to pay the price for freedom do not deserve it.” He also shared an image of himself with a Persian verse: “You took out the glass to break our stone.”
The execution of this sentence has sparked strong reactions from activists and public figures. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi condemned the flogging, calling it “revenge for his support of Iranian women”, and stated that “lashes on Mehdi’s body are lashes on the proud and resilient women of Iran and the thriving soul of the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement.”
In recent days, Yarrahi also announced that even if authorities granted him a permit, he would never hold a concert due to gender discrimination in Iran, where women have long been barred from performing solo. He declared that he refuses to benefit from “male privilege” in the music industry and would rather stand in solidarity with Iranian women who have been denied the opportunity to showcase their talents for over four decades.
Numerous artists, activists, and cultural figures have expressed support for Yarrahi and condemned the enforcement of his sentence.
