The Islamic Revolutionary Court in Iran sentenced to death the popular 33-year-old rapper Toumaj Salehi, who supported anti-government protests in the country. Reuters writes about this.
The musician was detained in October 2022, when he publicly spoke out in support of the protesters, including recording songs about it. Salehi was accused of “the spread of corruption on Earth”which carries up to the death penalty.
In 2023, the rapper was sentenced to six years and three months in prison. He escaped a death sentence by Iran’s Supreme Court.
On April 24, 2024, the rapper’s lawyer Amir Raisyan told the Iranian newspaper Sharq that the first branch of the revolutionary court of Isfahan, despite the decision of the Supreme Court, sentenced the rapper to capital punishment. He promised that he would definitely appeal the verdict, which has not yet entered into legal force.
Mass protests and unrest in Iran began in September 2022 after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained by morality police for the “improper” wearing of a hijab. The student died shortly after her arrest. According to human rights activists, she suffered a severe head injury while being taken to the police station. Authorities said the cause of death was a heart attack. The protests continued for several months, with hundreds of people killed in clashes. Many protesters were arrested and executed.
Read more about protests in Iran
Tags: Iran sentenced death rapper Toumaj Salehi supported antigovernment protests
