Von Hertzen Brothers champion human rights in new video for Jerusalem

Von Hertzen Brothers have released a video for their new single Jerusalem.

The song features on the band’s 2017 album War is Over, with the poignant video launched as a reaction to the European refugee crisis and subsequent asylum debate which started in 2015 in Finland.

The video stars Bakr Hasan – one of 32,000 immigrants who arrived in Finland three years ago – and shows his emotions about receiving a negative asylum decision from the Finnish Immigration Service.

Guitarist Kie von Hertzen says: “It also speaks for all those genuinely distressed asylum seekers who under critical circumstances of war have had to flee for their lives from their own countries and who ultimately have ended up in some remote and unknown destination only get a return ticket right back to the middle of persecutions or war. 

“Bakr Hasan comes not only from a country where there is war, but also from a culture where the state and family have for religious reasons rejected him because of his urge to do art. 

“He has experienced persecution, violence and death in his immediate family because of the war.”

The video has also been launched to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the declaration of human rights and can be seen below.

Von Hertzen Brothers are currently on tour in the UK and will support Uriah Heep across the county from December 12.

Von Hertzen Brothers 2018 UK tour dates
Dec 10: Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Dec 11: Birmingham O2 Institute 2
Dec 12: Manchester O2 Ritz (with Uriah Heep)
Dec 13: Glasgow SWG3 (with Uriah Heep)
Dec 14: London Shepherd’s Bush Empire (with Uriah Heep)
Dec 15: Nottingham Rock City (with Uriah Heep)
Dec 16: Hull City Hall (with Uriah Heep)

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.