An Iranian singer who faces possible prison time for his song “Baraye” that’s become an anthem to the ongoing protests against the Islamic Republic won a Grammy.
Jill Biden, the wife of President Joe Biden, announced Shervin Hajipour as the winner of the Grammy’s new song for social change. An online video showed Hajipour in a darkened room, wiping tears away after the announcement.
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 young Iranians have posted on Twitter for why they had protested Iran’s ruling theocracy.
It ends with the widely chanted slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” that has become synonymous with the protests since the September death of Iranian-Kurdish woman Masha Amini in police custody.
Released on his Instagram page, the song quickly went viral. Hajipour then was arrested and held for several days before being released on bail in October.
The 25-year-old singer faces charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “instigating the violence,” according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that’s been monitoring the monthslong protests.
The charges Hajipour faces can carry as much as six years in prison all together. The singer is also banned from leaving Iran.
