Iranian rapper sentenced to death, says lawyer
A rapper from Iran who was imprisoned for his support of anti-government demonstrations has reportedly been given a death sentence, according to his attorney.
Toomaj Salehi expressed solidarity with the protests that emerged in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who allegedly died in police custody after being detained for not wearing a hijab deemed appropriate by authorities, through his music.
One of Salehi’s legal representatives, Amir Raesian, stated that the rapper intends to appeal against the death penalty.
Iranian officials have yet to provide any official statements regarding this matter.
Salehi was initially detained in October 2022 after publicly endorsing the protests and was charged with multiple offenses.
In July 2023, he was sentenced to six years and three months in prison, avoiding the death penalty due to a ruling by the Supreme Court.
However, in January, Isfahan’s Revolutionary Court brought forth new charges against Salehi, despite his previous acquittal, as reported by his lawyer.
According to Raesian, the revolutionary court disregarded the Supreme Court’s leniency ruling and instead introduced new charges before issuing the “severest punishment.”
Among the charges Salehi was convicted of are corruption on earth, armed rebellion, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the government, and incitement of riots.
Salehi has a 20-day window to challenge the verdict.
Prior to the 2022 protests, Salehi, an established artist, was known for his outspokenness and was prohibited from performing in concerts, resorting to sharing his music on social media platforms instead.
Through his songs and lyrics he boldly criticized the leadership of Iran for their corruption and crackdowns on dissent.
Following his 2023 sentencing to six years in prison, he was released on bail in November of the same year but rearrested a few days later on charges of sharing “false claims without evidence”, an apparent reference to a video message he posted claiming to have been “tortured” and pressured by intelligence ministry agents.
Recently Iranian police have intensified their presence on the streets to enforce Islamist dress codes for women.
The verdict by an Islamic revolutionary court appears to be a calculated message signalling the regime’s strength and determination to suppress any form of dissent.
