Mehdi Yarrahi's Grammy Nomination Proposal Submitted to the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

Simultaneously with the arrest of Mehdi Yarrahi, the Iranian protest singer by government forces, his nomination proposal for a Grammy Award was submitted to the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the USA. Mehdi Yarrahi was arrested on September 6, just four days after the release of his song "Roosarito Darbiar" by the order of the Tehran prosecutor and is currently in Evin prison. According to the spokesperson for the judiciary, a case has been opened against this singer in the Tehran prosecutor's office, and he is accused of "disturbing public opinion and producing and distributing films contrary to public decency." In recent days, "Roosarito Darbiar" has become one of the most popular songs in Iran due to its critical content, especially against mandatory hijab, and has gained global fame. Kati Amiri-Younsi, an Iranian lawyer specializing in contracts and artistic affairs in Los Angeles, told VOA that she has officially submitted the names of three of Mehdi Yarrahi's songs, including "Roosarito Darbiar," as nominees for the Grammy Award to the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. These songs have been proposed for the award "Special Achievement: Best Song for Social Change," which is one of the Academy's special awards and is selected by a special committee within the Academy. This award was given last year to the song "Baraye" by Shervin Hajipour, an Iranian singer, which became an unofficial anthem for protesters against the government and gained significant fame. Kati Amiri-Younsi states that Mehdi Yarrahi sang a song titled "Az Khodet Khabar Biar" in 2013, which had exactly the same lyrics, music, and arrangement, but he replaced "Az Khodet Khabar Biar" with "Roosarito Darbiar" to obtain permission from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. According to this Iranian lawyer, Mehdi Yarrahi has performed "Az Khodet Khabar Biar" multiple times at his concerts, and it is one of the most popular songs of this young singer. Ms. Amiri-Younsi adds that a few weeks ago, Mehdi Yarrahi decided to perform the song in its original form to criticize the current situation in Iran, and this work was released as a new clip titled "Roosarito Darbiar," which was very impactful. She notes that many Iranian users, especially artists and famous figures, shared this song on their social media accounts, stating that "Roosarito Darbiar" has gone viral like Shervin Hajipour's song "Baraye," and experiences from last year can help achieve greater success. Kati Amiri-Younsi mentions that she collected complete details of Mehdi Yarrahi's songs and accurately entered their specifications on the relevant website to prevent the recurrence of some technical and legal issues that arose with the song "Baraye." This Iranian lawyer said that now that Mehdi Yarrahi's nomination proposal has been officially registered, a broad campaign should be organized to support him, and users should share hashtags related to this singer on social media. Ms. Amiri-Younsi indicates that the hashtags "Roosarito" and "MehdiYarrahi" have been designated for this campaign, and if the number of these hashtags exceeds one million, it will definitely impact the special committee in the Academy, giving Mehdi Yarrahi not only a good chance for Grammy nomination but also a possibility of winning this award. She emphasizes that correctly writing these hashtags is very important and unfortunately, incorrect hashtags will not help Mehdi Yarrahi and his nomination for the Grammy Award. According to Kati Amiri-Younsi, given that this special Grammy award was launched last year, there is significant competition for it, and the relevant committee carefully considers the reactions of various communities that submitted nominations for their singers. She adds that the impact of the song and support for the singer are important factors that are taken into account, and therefore, supporting Iranians for Mehdi Yarrahi, who has risked his life by releasing this song, is the least that can be done. This Iranian lawyer states that Mehdi Yarrahi has done his duty and is beloved by millions of Iranians, and now he should be further supported to become a global singer. The special committee of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences will announce the nominees in November, and this award will be presented to the winner in February 2024. The spokesperson for the judiciary announced that Mehdi Yarrahi is accused of distributing a film "contrary to public decency." Mehdi Yarrahi's case has been sent to the Islamic Revolutionary Court. A joint case has been filed for two detained protesters; Yarrahi's lawyer: his spirit is "very good." A response from a Ministry of Culture official regarding Mehdi Yarrahi's arrest: I can do nothing. The U.S. permanent representative to the Human Rights Council: Mehdi Yarrahi's arrest is a violation of freedom of expression. Narges Mohammadi: The song "Roosarito Darbiar" by Mehdi Yarrahi was a disaster for the authoritarian religious government. Actress Taraneh Alidoosti's support for Mehdi Yarrahi: Protest art is the artist's right. Mohsen Chavoshi and Mohsen Namjoo condemned Mehdi Yarrahi's arrest: You are a fighter. Widespread domestic and international reactions to Mehdi Yarrahi's arrest; he who stands with his people is not alone. The American PEN Association stated that Mehdi Yarrahi's arrest reflects "the brutal suppression of freedom of expression by the Iranian regime." 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