His conviction stemmed from personal behavior regarding alcohol, rather than his music, as noted by an anonymous official from Iran's Fars news agency.

Yarrahi had previously been sentenced to 74 lashes as part of a resolution to a criminal case related to his protest song.

The return of Yarrahi's bail, amounting to 15 billion Toman, was contingent upon the completion of his flogging, which has now been carried out.

Iranian singer Mehdi Yarrahi was flogged on March 5, 2025, for alcohol possession and consumption, according to his lawyer, Zahra Minuei.

Human rights activist Masih Alinejad stated that Yarrahi's flogging would only inspire more resistance among women, emphasizing the need for international awareness of Iran's human rights violations.

In 2024, the Iranian judiciary imposed nearly 10,000 lashes on at least 131 individuals, highlighting the regime's ongoing crackdown on dissent.

Following his flogging, Yarrahi expressed on social media that freedom comes at a price, condemning the punishment as inhuman torture but refusing to request its cancellation.

The sentence was linked to Yarrahi's song 'Roosarito,' released in August 2023, which criticized the mandatory hijab law.

In 'Roosarito,' Yarrahi calls for women to remove their hijabs, urging them to 'let their hair free' in support of the women's protest movement that emerged after Mahsa Amini's death.

Other artists in Iran have faced similar harsh sentences, including filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, who received eight years in prison and flogging for national security offenses.

The protests following Amini's death on September 16, 2022, have led to a visible resistance against hijab mandates, with more women appearing without headscarves.

Yarrahi's lawyer confirmed the execution of the flogging sentence via social media, marking the completion of the ruling by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran.