International coverage of the arrest of Iranian composer Mehdi Rajabian on charges of collaborating with female artists

The summons and arrest of Mehdi Rajabian, a young Iranian musician, composer, and musician, for collaborating with female artists in his musical projects has received widespread coverage in the international media.

In recent days, various articles have been published on Fox News, ABC, Newsweek, the Daily Mail, and the BBC World Service, and these news websites have examined this issue from various angles.

After being summoned to the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Sari Branch and interrogated, Mehdi Rajabian was eventually arrested on charges of using women's dance in his album "People from the Middle East" and collaborating with female singers in his new album.

The 30-year-old artist was released on bail after several hours of detention and is awaiting a trial date and court appearance.

The laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran prohibit women from dancing and singing solo, and violators are dealt with severely.

This is despite the fact that in recent years these restrictions have increased in Iran, and even the presence of female singers in musical groups or female musicians in public performances is prevented.

In his interviews with international media, Mehdi Rajabian has described in detail the stages of his trial and interrogation. According to the artist, the judge in his case said that his works “promote corruption and prostitution” in society.

The album "People from the Middle East", released in 2019 by Sony, is a collection produced by Mehdi Rajabian in collaboration with a number of Iranian and non-Iranian artists.

Last year, "Ahl al-Middle-East" won the silver medal at the "Global Music Awards," which is considered an important achievement in this artistic field.

This young artist, who was imprisoned for two years on charges of "political activity and propaganda against the Islamic Republic," according to Iranian authorities, wrote the songs "Ahl al-Maghrib" while in prison.

Despite being banned from working after his parole from prison, he produced this album in secret.

"People from the Middle East" was formed with a message of peace and freedom, and artists from 12 countries around the world who collaborated with Mehdi Rajabian on this album used music to oppose war and defend human rights.

Although some time has passed since the release of the album "People from the Middle East", Sony has recently made it available to fans online.

One of the video clips from this album, featuring Helia Bandeh, a young Iranian dancer and choreographer, sparked a lot of reactions on social media. These clips, which were also mentioned in the interrogations, are considered one of the main accusations against Mehdi Rajabian.

Helia Bandeh, who also faced many problems in the past and was forced to leave Iran with her family, beautifully presents her artistic interpretation of this musical piece in this clip with dance and rhythmic movements.

Meanwhile, Mehdi Rajabian is producing a new album in collaboration with a number of female artists living in Middle Eastern countries, and apparently, the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran intend to prevent the formation of this artistic project and have strictly banned her from any musical activity.

However, this young Iranian artist has repeatedly stated in his media interviews that he fights for musical freedom, creates his works in any way he wishes without self-censorship, and is not afraid of prison.

Source: Voice of America