The United States on March 4 condemned the sentencing of an Iranian singer who won a Grammy award in 2023 for a song that became an anthem for mass Iranian protests after the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody. Shervin Hajipour, who wrote and performed the song Baraye in 2022, was sentenced last week to nearly four years in prison. He was also forced to write music critical of the United States. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the sentence was another sign of the government's "intent to crack down on freedom of expression and repress voices" inside Iran.
Editors' Picks
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.