Rapper Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death in Iran. “Unfortunately, the First Section of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan inflicted a death sentence on him – reported the lawyer Mostafa Nili, as reported by Iran Wire – According to legal experts, this verdict presents significant inconsistencies”. The lawyer promises to fight against the sentence. The news of the rapper’s conviction is also reported by the reformist newspaper Shargh, which quotes the lawyer Amir Raisian.
The artist, 33, was initially arrested in October 2022 after expressing his support for the protests that erupted in Iran the previous monthfollowing the death of the young Mahsa Amini, the girl who died after being stopped on charges of not wearing the veil correctly.
The rapper is known for having often denounced, with his songs, social and political injustices in the Islamic Republic. With his lyrics, Iran Wire recalls, he criticized the government and supported protests to demand more freedom and rights for women. He has always exposed himself, spreading photos and videos of his participation in the initiatives.
In July last year he was sentenced to six years and three months in prison for “corruption on Earth”.. He was released on bail in November after the Supreme Court ordered a review of his case. Then, less than two weeks had passed, the prison doors were opened again for him with new charges, and he ended up in the crosshairs – as the ISNA agency reported – of another series of charges, also for spreading falsehoods.
After his release, the rapper published a video on the Internet with accusations against the Iranian judiciary, claiming that he had suffered torture in prison and that he had reported everything to the prison authorities.
