Iran pardons Grammy Award winner whose song became an anthem to the 2022 protests

An Iranian Grammy Award winner said on Monday he was pardoned from a three-year sentence for a song that became an anthem to the 2022 protests that rocked the country following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

Shervin Hajipour, who received the first-ever Grammy for best song for social change in 2023, uploaded a video story on Instagram, looking overcome with emotion and saying: “A new order had been issued regarding amnesty, and it included my case which has been completely dismissed,” adding that he learned about the case dismissal on Sunday.

His song, “Baraye,” or “For” in English, begins with: “For dancing in the streets,” “for the fear we feel when we kiss.”

The lyrics list reasons posted online by young Iranians explaining why they had protested against Iran’s ruling theocracy, after Amini died for not wearing her mandated headscarf to the liking of security forces.

The protests quickly escalated into calls to overthrow Iran’s clerical rulers. A subsequent security crackdown killed more than 500 people, with more than 22,000 detained.

On Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, pardoned and commuted the sentences of 2,887 prisoners. It is unclear whether Hajipour’s case was part of the amnesty order.

Two months ago, Hajipour announced that he was ordered to head to prison to serve the sentence of three years and eight months that a court handed him in March.

He had already served some prison time but was out on bail in 2023 pending the court’s decision.