DUBAI, UAE. Iranian Grammy Award winner Shervin Hajipour has been pardoned from serving a three-year prison sentence for his song “Baraye,” which became an anthem for the 2022 protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
In an emotional video shared on his Instagram account on Monday, Hajipour revealed, “A new order had been issued regarding amnesty, and it included my case which has been completely dismissed,” adding that he learned about the decision on Sunday.
Hajipour’s song “Baraye” (which translates to “For” in English) struck a chord with young Iranians, encapsulating their frustrations with the country’s theocratic rule. The lyrics, inspired by social media posts, begin with lines such as: “For dancing in the streets,” and “for the fear we feel when we kiss,” highlighting the reasons Iranians protested after Amini’s death for allegedly not wearing her mandatory headscarf to the satisfaction of Iran’s morality police.
The 2022 protests quickly spread across the country, escalating into calls for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic’s clerical regime. More than 500 people were killed in the government crackdown, and over 22,000 were arrested during the protests.
Hajipour had previously been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison by an Iranian court in March 2023, and he was expected to serve the remaining time. However, he had been out on bail since receiving the sentence and had only served a portion of the sentence before the new amnesty order.
On Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, pardoned or commuted the sentences of 2,887 prisoners. It remains unclear whether Hajipour’s pardon was directly tied to that mass amnesty.
Hajipour’s song gained international attention and recognition, culminating in him receiving the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Song for Social Change in 2023. The award was presented to him by U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, marking the song’s global impact.
With the dismissal of his case, Hajipour is now free from further legal action, allowing him to continue his music career without the looming threat of imprisonment. However, the singer remains a powerful symbol of the dissent against Iran’s ruling regime and the ongoing struggle for freedom of expression in the country.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
