A bestselling Iranian poet, singer, and songwriter has been released on bail after being arrested by the country’s Revolutionary Guard on November 30 on unclear charges. Yaghma Golrouee is widely believed to have been targeted by the country’s political police for a music video which he released online earlier this year drawing attention to women’s struggle for equal rights in Iran.

Yaghma Golrouee, above, is pictured in a still from his video which is believed to have led to his arrest by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. (YouTube)

The video, entitled “Shere Rahai,” meaning “Song of Freedom” in Persian, features the images of a number of female musicians, scholars, athletes, suffragettes, and activists accompanied by lyrics detailing their struggle for equal rights. The song describes its subjects “happy and alive, despite being jailed,” in defiance of Iran’s policy of intimidation toward artists and activists.

“We are covered in blood but we know that at the end of the story, we’re free,” repeats the final refrain according to an online translation of the Persian original.

Golrouee’s book I Have A Dream became a bestseller when it was released last year, but many of the multifaceted artist’s previous publications have faced much censorship from authorities. The author is well-known for writing about love, personal relationships, and individual experiences interspersed with social issues of poverty, addiction, and the environment.

A woman defiantly gives the peace sign in the music video for “Shere Rahai,” or “Song of Freedom.” The video, published online, has numerous women demonstrating their support of the lyrical message, “At the end of the story, we are free.” The release of Yaghma Golrouee on bail has left some questions unanswered, such as whether the artist is still to face charges. In the confusion of his arrest and detention, no information has been made public as to whether or not Golrouee was officially charged with a crime.

A post made to Golrouee’s Instagram account by his wife on the night of the arrest follows:

“The security agents came and searched all over our home and then arrested Yaghma Golrouee and took him away without telling us where they were taking him. We have not had any news about him since and are extremely worried about his health and safety.”

While Golrouee has been released, a number of other artists remain imprisoned for their work by the Iranian regime.

Golrouee is well-known for using personal stories to convey a strong social message, in this case, one of solidarity with women’s struggle for equality in Iran’s theocracy.

Perhaps the most renowned artist imprisoned for their work in Iran is Atena Farghadani, who faces twelve-and-a-half years behind bars after she drew a cartoon of the country’s parliament as animals. Similarly to Golrouee’s video, Farghadani’s cartoon was a feminist protest against a law restricting women’s access to birth control.

Cartoonist Hadi Heidari, activist Atena Daemi, and Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Mostafa Azizi face a combined 16 years in prison for their work. Shahriar Siroos, a painter, teacher, and member of the Baha’i religious minority, appears to be detained arbitrarily.

As the official reason behind Yaghma Golrouee’s arrest and release remain unknown, it is unclear whether the artist will face charges at a later date. The Voice Project will continue to monitor his case along with those of the other imprisoned Iranian artists.