Rock band, entire audience arrested in Iran

An Iranian rock band and around 100 spectators were all arrested in the city of Isfahan on Saturday in the latest clampdown on public concerts in the regime, according to reports received from Iran.
Revolutionary Guards and Basij paramilitary forces transferred the band and entire audience to the city’s main prison, it was reported.
Musicians have needed to obtain government authorization in order to hold performances in public since the establishment of the clerical regime in 1979.
In December, the regime’s security forces swooped on underground musicians – including the managers of an internet music website – in the city of Sari and forced them to make a ‘televised confession’ from Evin Prison.
The police chief of Tehran has also reported the arrest of Persian rap singer Amir Hossein Maqsoudlou, aged 30, on December 4. His songs have been aired on foreign websites, which is illegal under the mullahs’ draconian laws.
Tehran’s State Security Forces also attacked and destroyed an underground music studio in November.
Police confiscated musical instruments including a guitar and keyboard, two sound recording systems, two amplifiers, two microphones, around 5000 CDs, satellite equipment and a laptop, and its owner was arrested, the state-run INSA news agency reported.