Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, who gained prominence for his support of women’s rights and criticism of the government, was sentenced to death by an Iranian revolutionary court in Isfahan on April 24, 2023. The charges against Salehi stem from his involvement in the 2022-23 unrest in Iran, where he expressed solidarity with the protests through his music and public statements.
Salehi was initially arrested in October 2022 for voicing support for the nationwide Woman, Life, Freedom protests, which were sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman arrested for allegedly wearing an ‘improper’ hijab. Salehi released songs criticizing the government and demanding more rights for women in Iran, and posted pictures and videos of himself during the demonstrations.
In July 2023, Salehi was sentenced to six years and three months in prison for ‘corruption on Earth’ by a revolutionary court. However, he avoided a death sentence due to a Supreme Court ruling that found ‘flaws in the original sentence.’ Salehi was released on bail on November 18, 2023, after the Supreme Court’s decision, but was sent back to prison less than two weeks later facing new charges after publicly discussing his torture in prison.
Amir Raisian, Salehi’s lawyer, stated that the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan did not enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling and sentenced Salehi to death in an ‘unprecedented’ move. The Iranian judiciary has not yet confirmed the sentence, and Salehi has 20 days to appeal the ruling. His lawyer confirmed that they will definitely appeal the verdict.
