Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death today, April 24, 2024. The star is accused of being linked to the 2022-23 unrest in Iran, according to a statement his lawyer gave to the Iranian newspaper Sharq.
Salehi was initially arrested in October 2022 after expressing support for the national “Women, Life, Freedom” protests, writes The Metro.
Salehi showed his solidarity for the months-long protests through his songs, which were sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman arrested for allegedly wore an “inappropriate” hijab.
The rapper released songs criticizing the government and demanding more rights for women in Iran. He also posted photos and videos of himself during demonstrations.
Salehi was then arrested for the first time in October 2022 following public statements. He was sentenced in July 2023 to six years and three months in prison.
Salehi previously avoided a death sentence thanks to a Supreme Court ruling. He was released on bail on November 18, 2023, after the Supreme Court, in response to an appeal, found “irregularities in the original sentence”.
His case was remanded to a lower court for reconsideration and a possible retrial. However, two weeks later, Salehi was put on trial again, facing new charges after he publicly discussed torture in a video who was subjected to prison.
“Section 1 of the Revolutionary Court in (the central city of Isfahan), in an unprecedented move, did not apply the Supreme Court’s ruling… and sentenced Salehi to the harshest punishment,” his lawyer Amir Raisian told Sharq.
The Iranian judiciary has not yet confirmed the sentence. Salehi has 20 days to appeal this decision.
“We will definitely appeal this verdict”, confirmed his lawyer.
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