A POPULAR Iranian rapper has been sentenced to death for supporting the anti-regime protests from his songs.
Toomaj Salehi, 33, was arrested in 2022 after publicly backing the wave of demonstrations triggered by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
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Through his music, he bravely criticised the leadership of Iran, railing against their corruption and crackdowns on dissent.
He was sentenced in 2023 to six years and three months in prison, but avoided a death sentence due to a Supreme Court ruling.
But in January this year, a court in Isfahan accused him of new charges despite the ruling and he is now sentenced to be hanged.
Salehi expressed support in his music and in public statements for the powerful “Women, Life, Freedom” protests in recent years.
They were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini – who died in the custody of Tehran’s “morality police” after being arrested for violating Iran’s hijab rules.
Salehi shared pictures from some of the incredible marches held in support of Amini after her death in 2022.
“Branch One of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan in an unprecedented move, did not enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling …. and sentenced Salehi to the harshest punishment,” his lawyer Amir Raisian said.
The Revolutionary Court had accused Salehi of “assistance in sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the system and calling for riots”, he added.
The Iranian judiciary has not confirmed the sentence yet.
Salehi has 20 days to appeal the ruling.
“We will definitely appeal this verdict,” his lawyer said.
During a trial in March, Salehi fought back against the accusations and his family said there was “no legal and justified citation” for the charges.
Salehi took part in the unprecedented uprising that broke out across Iran in after Amini was beaten to death for wearing an “improper” hijab on on September 16, 2022.
In what became known as the headscarf revolution, months of unrest followed.
Women of all ages ripped off their compulsory hijabs at public demonstrations in defiance of the nation’s feared morality police.
Hundreds of people were killed, including dozens of security personnel, in a brutal crackdown and thousands of protesters were arrested.
Reports of torture and death at the hands of officials have also surfaced.
Iranian officials labelled the protests “riots” and accused Tehran’s foreign foes of fomenting the unrest.
Nine men have so far been executed in protest-related cases involving killing and other violence against security forces.
In a social media post prior to his arrest, Salehi said: “You should know that I am not afraid of death, imprisonment, and torture.
“What I fear is to see women sell their bodies out of want and shut my mouth.
“I am afraid of watching people bend into the trash bin up to their waist [to find food] but remain silent; to see you beat a worker and stay quiet; to witness your killing of a protester and torturing of his justice-seeking family, and shut up… There’s a sea of blood between you and me.”
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Credit Gist New Today News in Newspaper Nigeria Headlines
