In a shocking development, an Iranian court has handed down a death sentence to popular rapper Toomaj Salehi for backing the nationwide protests that erupted after the tragic death of Mahsa Amini. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in custody in September 2022 after being detained for allegedly violating the country’s strict hijab rules.
Salehi, aged 33, was arrested in October 2022 for publicly voicing support for the fierce protests sparked by Amini’s death. The demonstrations rapidly escalated into a broader movement against the regime’s repressive policies and human rights abuses.
According to Salehi’s lawyer Amir Raisian, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan found the rapper guilty of “corruption on Earth” – a vaguely defined charge that has been controversially used against dissidents. Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling to address flaws in the sentence, the lower court emphasized its independence and proceeded with the death penalty.
“We will certainly appeal against the sentence,” Raisian stated, highlighting the legal contradictions and unprecedented nature of the court’s defiance of the higher court’s directive. The lawyer decried the ruling as the “strangest part of this verdict.”
Salehi had initially been accused of “assistance in sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the system and calling for riots” for his vocal backing of the protests.
The rapper’s harsh sentence reflects the Iranian regime’s unrelenting crackdown on the protest movement. Authorities have labeled the unrest as “riots” instigated by foreign enemies, despite the genuine grievances driving the nationwide uprising.
Amnesty International condemned Salehi’s death sentence as “catastrophic” and “another appalling crime” committed by Iran to torment those seeking human rights. At least nine protesters have already been executed in cases related to violence against security forces during the unrest.
As tensions persist, the international community urgently calls for restraint and human rights accountability from Iranian authorities. Salehi’s case exemplifies the regime’s ruthless attempts to quash dissent through extreme judicial measures targeting activists, journalists, and artists daring to voice support for civil liberties.
