An Iranian singer who is facing possible jail time for his song that has become an anthem for the ongoing protests that have rocked the Islamic Republic, wept on Monday after seeing that he had won a Grammy.
Sherwin Hajipoor was stunned to hear Jill Biden, the wife of President Joe Biden, announce she had won a Grammy new song of special merit award for “Barye” for social change. An online video showed Hajipur wiping away tears after the announcement in a dark room.
Hajipur’s song “Baarae,” or “For” in English, begins like this: “For dancing in the streets,” “For the fear we feel when we kiss.” The list of songs caused young Iranians to post on Twitter why they protested against Iran’s ruling democracy.
It ends with the widely chanted slogan that has become synonymous with the protests since the death of Iranian-Kurdish woman Masha Amini in September: “For women, life, freedom.”
This song, released on his Instagram page, became increasingly viral. Hajipur was arrested and detained for several days before being released on bail in October. The 25-year-old singer is facing charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “inciting violence” according to human rights activists in Iran, a group that has been monitoring the protests for months.
All the charges in Hajipur carry a jail term of up to six years. The singer is also banned from leaving Iran.
Wearing a dazzling, off-the-shoulder Oscar de la Renta dress at the Grammy ceremony in Los Angeles, Biden said a song can “unite, inspire and ultimately change the world.”
Biden said, “The song became the anthem of the Mahsa Amini protest, a powerful and poetic call for freedom and women’s rights.” “Sherwin was arrested, but the song continues to resonate around the world with its powerful theme: women, life, freedom.”
The people present there welcomed Biden’s statement. On Instagram, Hajipur simply wrote: “We won.”
There was no immediate reaction to Hajipur’s victory from Iranian state media or government officials. The singer is among more than 19,600 people arrested amid the demonstrations, according to human rights activists in Iran. At least 527 people have died amid the violent suppression of the demonstrations by the authorities.
On Sunday, Iran’s supreme leader reportedly ordered an extension or reduction of prison sentences for “tens of thousands” of people detained amid protests, acknowledging for the first time the scale of the crackdown.
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