Prosecutors in Tehran issued an arrest warrant for the singer after the release of the song, which the regime considers illegal, and he was arrested on Monday by Iranian police, reports Radio Free Europe, as cited by SVT’s Culture news.
Iranian authorities have, ahead of the anniversary of Mahsa Zhina Amini’s death, introduced a tougher crackdown on the protest movement in the country. Amini died in hospital in September 2022 after being arrested by the morality police, who had taken issue with the way she wore her headscarf.
The song “Roosarito”, roughly “Your Veil”, is a tribute to Amini and the protests that followed her death and includes lyrics such as “take off your shawl”.