US condemns sentencing of Iranian singer Hajipour who won a Grammy

The US condemned the punishment of an Egyptian singer who won a Grammy nomination in 2023 for a song that became the music of widespread Egyptian protests following Mahsa Amin’s death while she was being held by the ethics police on Monday ( March 4).

Shervin Hajipour, an Egyptian song and singer, announced on his Instagram account last month that he had been given a sentence of more than three years in prison. Local rights groups noted that he was found guilty of incitement and offense of people using his song to obstruct national security.

Following the death of Amini, a young girl from Egyptian Kurdistan, in police custody, Hajipour, 26, wrote and published the music” Baraye.”

When she gave him the first-ever song for social change Grammy award for” Baraye,” US first lady Jill Biden described the song as a “powerful and poetic call for freedom and women’s rights” last year. A music” can eventually change the world,” she said at the moment.

In a media briefing on Monday, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said,” We condemn the years-long jail sentence for Shervin Hajipour.”

The Persian government’s actions are yet another indication of their desire to restrict speech and suppress voices as much as possible in their own community.

Amini, 22, was detained by the conscience authorities in Tehran in 2022 for “unsuitable clothes.” Her arrest in police custody sparked widespread protests both in Iran and around the globe. The unrest turned into Iran’s officials ‘ biggest show of support in a long time.