Ban on Activities of 24 Singers; Conflicting Statements from Officials

While the Deputy Minister of Culture and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture deny the news of a "ban on work" for 24 pop singers, the head of the Music Office of the Ministry has implicitly confirmed the ban on these artists, stating that their ban is not permanent. In recent days, some websites reported on the prohibition of 24 singers due to their collaboration with the website "Radio Javan" and the broadcasting of their clips on satellite channels outside of Iran. This issue prompted an official response from the Ministry of Culture on Monday, October 27. "Radio Javan" is a website operating in the United States that has become one of the most active online sources for publishing albums, clips, and music pieces from singers inside and outside Iran in recent years. ISNA reported on Monday, October 27, citing an internet site regarding the ban on 24 singers, stating: "This is the first time that a ban on singers has been communicated to them in writing; it seems that the two-month hiatus for music activists due to the days of Muharram and Safar was the best time to address this issue, which some agencies have been pursuing intensely in recent days." The article also listed several banned singers along with the reasons for their prohibition. The main reason for the ban was cited as the publication of works on the "Radio Javan" website and the broadcasting of video clips on satellite networks. Notable names included Farzad Farzin, Sirvan and Zaniar Khosravi, Reza Sadeghi, Mohsen Yeganeh, Saeed Modarres, Mehdi Modarres, Shahram Shokoohi, and Mohsen Chavoshi. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture stated that no official list has been published. The first comments regarding the news of the "ban on work" for prominent pop music figures were made by Hossein Nooshabadi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture. According to Nasim's website, Mr. Nooshabadi stated in an interview: "The Ministry of Culture has not published any official list of banned artists because this is never right, and the dignity and respect for individuals are not observed in it." He continued: "In general, all music artists have been informed that anyone who collaborates with foreign websites and satellite networks that oppose the Islamic Republic is in violation." According to the spokesperson, a series of regulations on these matters have been communicated to artists: "We reminded them to observe the red lines, but unfortunately, despite the warnings and advice given, we still witness violations." Another official from the Ministry of Culture who denied the ban on the activities of 24 singers and the publication of the list is Ali Moradkhani, the Deputy Minister of Culture. Mr. Moradkhani stated on Monday, October 27, in an interview with ISNA: "The news recently published about the ban on singers is not true, and the news about the banning of several music artists due to collaboration with Radio Javan is not real." The Deputy Minister emphasized that he has "never sought to ban artists" and has always tried to create conditions for them to work inside the country without issues; therefore, such news cannot be true. The head of the Music Office: The ban on the activities of some singers is not permanent. However, the comments from the head of the Music Office of the Ministry of Culture differ slightly from those of other officials. The head of the Music Office did not deny the news of the "ban on work" and stated that the prohibition of some singers' activities will definitely not be permanent. Farzad Talebi, on Monday, October 27, in an interview with Mehr News Agency regarding the news of the ban on some singers due to collaboration with the "Radio Javan" website, broadcasting clips on satellite networks, and some violations in concerts abroad, stated: "Unfortunately, recently, some of our singers have had collaborations with Radio Javan, whether intentionally or unintentionally. As we know, the nature of this site belongs to the American government; therefore, the presence of licensed Iranian singers on this site is illegal." Mr. Talebi emphasized that the list announced by some unofficial media does not exist, stating: "The banning of singers who have committed violations does not mean permanent banning because we and the responsible authorities have told these individuals that they can take legal steps and solutions to resolve their issues." In the final part of his remarks, the head of the Music Office announced: "No specific timeline has been communicated regarding the banning of these singers; some mention six months or a year, but I hope that with the efforts of the Ministry of Culture, the existing problems will be resolved as soon as possible." An informed source in Tehran: Two people have been arrested in Iran. While the officials of the Radio Javan website have not yet reacted to these events and statements, an informed source in Tehran told Radio Farda that "security agencies have arrested two individuals on charges of connection with this website." According to this informed source, "the reasons for the prohibition of their activities have been stated to the singers, including collaboration with the 'Radio Javan' website, broadcasting clips on satellite networks, and some violations in concerts abroad." However, prior to the publication of this news, Benyamin Bahadori, a well-known singer active in Iran, criticized the publication of his works on the Radio Javan website during his recent concert in the United States, calling for the removal of his works from this website on stage. In the past two days, some singers have also expressed their objections on their personal social media pages regarding the publication of their works on Radio Javan. Among them, Farzad Farzin and Sina Shabankhani published a text on their personal Instagram pages criticizing Radio Javan and calling for the removal of their works from this website. In this regard, the website "Music Ma," which operates inside Iran, has reported that recent events have been the main topic of special meetings of music officials with some domestic figures. In recent years, the officials of the Radio Javan website have expanded their activities by producing clips for singers and also organizing some music concerts.