The Ahwazi Assembly vehemently condemns the barbaric and inhumane sentencing of Ahwazi Arab singer Mehdi Yarrahi to 74 lashes by the Iranian authorities.

The Ahwazi Assembly vehemently condemns the barbaric and inhumane sentencing of Ahwazi Arab singer Mehdi Yarrahi to 74 lashes by the Iranian authorities. This medieval-style punishment was carried out in response to Yarrahi’s release of a protest song entitled Your Headscarf (Roo Sarito) in September 2023, which criticised Iran’s oppressive and discriminatory dress code laws for women.

Yarrahi, an Ahwazi Arab artist from Falahiyeh city in Arabistan (Al-Ahwaz), a historically Arab region in southwest Iran, has been targeted solely for exercising his fundamental right to freedom of expression. His song, released on the first anniversary of the “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising, resonated with millions of Iranians and Ahwazi Arabs who continue to resist the regime’s systemic oppression, particularly against women and ethnic minorities.
The Iranian regime’s decision to impose such a brutal and degrading punishment is a blatant violation of international human rights laws and a stark reminder of the regime’s relentless campaign to silence dissent and suppress cultural and artistic expression. The flogging of Yarrahi is not only an attack on him as an individual but also an assault on the Ahwazi Arab nation and all those who dare to challenge the regime’s authoritarian policies.

The Ahwazi Assembly calls on the international community, human rights organisations, and governments worldwide to:

•   Publicly Condemn the Iranian regime’s use of such backward punishments and its ongoing human rights abuses against ethnic minorities, women, and dissidents.
•   Impose Sanctions on Iranian officials and institutions responsible for these egregious violations of human rights.
•   Support the Ahwazi Arabs in Iran in their struggle for justice, equality, and the right to self-determination.
•   Demand Accountability from the Iranian regime for its systematic oppression of non-Persian nations, including Ahwazi Arabs, and its brutal crackdown on freedom of expression.

The Ahwazi Assembly stands in solidarity with Mehdi Yarrahi and all political prisoners, artists, and activists who continue to resist the Iranian regime’s tyranny. We urge the world to not remain silent in the face of such atrocities and to take immediate action to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its crimes.