Iranian press review: Public figures mock judiciary over Grammy-winner's sentence
Prison term for singer draws anger, mockery
Prison sentences handed to Iranian Grammy award-winning singer Shervin Hajipour were met with derision by Iranians, with even the head of justice implicitly criticising the ruling for being disproportionate.
Hajipour was arrested during the 2022 anti-establishment protests that rocked Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. He had written a song that became an anthem for the mass protests and later won a Grammy award.
Last week, Hajipour said he was sentenced to three years in prison for "inciting and provoking people to riot to disturb national security", with an additional eight months for "propaganda against the regime".
Hajipour was also ordered to write a song about "US crimes against humanity", in addition to summarising two books on the status of women in Islam, and engage in activities that "promote the achievements" of the Islamic Revolution.
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On Monday, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of Iran's judiciary system, urged judges to issue sentences that are "enforceable", "appropriate" and "effective".
"In determining the punishment, judges should pay attention to the rule of proportionality, ensuring the punishment doesn't yield the opposite result and avoids any side issues," Ejei was quoted as saying by the Mizan news agency.
Many Iranians, including the outspoken academic Sadegh Zibakalam, mocked the Islamic Revolutionary Court's sentences.
"I wish the respected judge of the court would guide Shervin on how to make music that expresses the crime. Should that music be classical, jazz, traditional, pop, or rap?" Zibakalam wrote on the X social media platform.
A descendant of the author of a book that Hajipour was ordered to summarise also reacted, expressing readiness to write the summary instead of Hajipour.
"There is nothing I can do against this ruling, except that I can write a summary of the two books by the martyr Motahari and Ayatollah Javadi Amoli for Mr Hajipour. Reading Motahari's book should not be considered a punishment," Motahari's grandson said.
Raisi criticised for neglecting flood-hit region
Recent floods in the underprivileged province of Sistan and Baluchistan have brought sharp criticism to President Ebrahim Raisi's administration for failing to provide essential aid.
Unusually heavy rains hit the southeastern province last week, causing severe damage to roads and infrastructure, destroying over 800 houses, and affecting more than 19,000 hectares of agricultural land.
Despite the government's efforts to present a positive image of assistance, videos on official media and Farsi social platforms revealed the residents' frustration and dissatisfaction with the support received.
On Wednesday, Khabar Online published a video depicting angry residents of a flood-hit village confronting Raisi during his visit.
In the video, a villager can be heard saying, "What kind of help is this? We've been waiting for aid for nine days, and just an hour before your arrival, road construction machines finally opened the way."
The same day, the reformist Shargh daily urged the government to prioritise building resilient structures for residents over sending food packages.
"It would be more impactful if the funds allocated for food packages were redirected to rebuilding structures, establishing clean-water pipelines for villages, and equipping health centres," the daily wrote.
Record low poll turnout signals discontent
The notably low turnout in Friday's parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections has sparked concerns among former high-ranking officials regarding the establishment's legitimacy.
Some dailies have also highlighted the significance of the high number of blank votes submitted in the elections.
The elections marked the first polls after the 2022 nationwide anti-establishment protests, with the parliamentary ballot achieving a record low turnout of 41 percent.
Mahmoud Vaezi, information minister and chief of staff under former president Hassan Rouhani, acknowledged that the elections underscored the public's profound disappointment with the establishment.
In an interview with Etemad daily on Tuesday, Vaezi expressed the need for policy changes to rebuild trust among the public.
"The low turnout in the last three elections is a warning and alarm for those who govern the country, indicating that the establishment's policies must evolve," he said.
"Despite employing various tactics to boost turnout, such as campaigns, threats, and even invoking religious beliefs, none yielded results."
Analysts pointed to the substantial number of blank votes as evidence that the actual turnout was less than 40 percent.
The Arman daily said the blank votes were indicative of the people's dissatisfaction with the election process.
The daily revealed that in Shahriar, a county in Tehran province, the number of blank votes exceeded those cast for the candidate with the most votes in the parliamentary elections.
In Yazd, blank votes were the second-highest.
* Iranian press review is a digest of news reports not independently verified by Middle East Eye
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