Reactions to the Arrest of 'Vafadar'; Mehran Aminian: Artists Cannot Be Restricted by 'Arrests and Imprisonments'

Mehran Aminian, an Iranian musician residing in Canada, in an interview with Voice of America, protested the arrest of Vafa Ahmadpour, a well-known protest rapper known as 'Vafadar', and demanded his release along with all artists detained by the Islamic Republic. Vafa Ahmadpour was forced to introduce himself to authorities after government agents forcibly entered his home and threatened his family on Sunday, February 4. It is still unclear where the protest rapper is imprisoned and what his condition is. Mehran Aminian, a singer, musician, and composer based in Toronto, is one of the Iranian artists active in protest music and has published various political and social songs in recent years. Aminian states: 'It is no secret that the Islamic Republic inherently has an issue with art. The essence of the Islamic Republic and a religious government cannot tolerate art and cannot coexist with it.' He adds: 'Protest art is even worse because it targets the heart of such a totalitarian regime and contradicts its clichés. It is natural that the Islamic Republic does everything it can to harshly deal with this art, both abroad and domestically, and to create fear to prevent similar movements.' Aminian continues: 'When we see how violently the government deals with individuals like Tomaj Salehi, Mehdi Yarahee, and now Vafadar, we might think more about the consequences before releasing a protest work, especially artists inside the country who are in more difficult conditions.' He further states: 'Fortunately, we see that this young generation, with the courage they show, has diminished this weapon of the Islamic Republic, and the government is unable to limit artists inside the country as it used to with arrests and imprisonments.' He says: 'There was a time when the Islamic Republic tried to shift the boundaries of censorship and even intimidated artists outside Iran to prevent the performance of protest works, but now it is even unable to control artists inside, and they have courageously targeted the heart of this totalitarian regime.' Aminian emphasizes the importance of bringing the voices of these individuals to the world, seeking justice, and reflecting the pressures faced by artists inside Iran, whether they are imprisoned or not yet captured. He states: 'When the Islamic Republic seeks to silence these artists through their arrests, beyond the physical and psychological torture they endure, the worse thing is that the government keeps them in ignorance and tries to distance society from them by prolonging their illegal imprisonment.' He adds: 'If international pressure is lifted, these individuals may fade from the public's mind, which is why it is very important that we be their voice and not let them fade from public attention; we must inform the global community about what is happening.' Aminian believes: 'In my opinion, the share of the protest artist inside the country lasts as long as they publish their song and impact society; when this artist is imprisoned by repressive forces, our responsibility begins, especially for Iranians outside the country. We must continue to pressure the Islamic Republic, not let this artist be forgotten, and not let them disappear in the regime's slaughterhouses.' Aminian expressed hope that with continued efforts, Vafa Ahmadpour and all imprisoned protest artists would be freed, return to society, and continue their artistic activities. The American PEN Association also condemned the arrest of Vafa Ahmadpour by the Islamic Republic on Wednesday, February 7, and called for his immediate release. In a statement prepared by the 'Artists at Risk' (ARC) group, it noted that 'the arrest of Vafa Ahmadpour is another horrific example of the unjust harassment of rappers and artists like Tomaj Salehi and Saman Yasin who dare to speak out against the government's policies.' Vafa Ahmadpour is known for his songs related to Mohammad Mehdi Karimi and Mohammad Hosseini, who were executed in prison last year on charges of 'waging war' for participating in the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests in Iran. Many Iranian artists and writers have been pursued for participating in or supporting nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody last year. Samaneh Saidi (Yasin), Mehdi Yarahee, and Tomaj Salehi are among these artists whose treatment by the Islamic Republic has led to widespread global protests. The American PEN Association called for the release of Vafa Ahmadpour, the Iranian protest rapper.