Iran sentences rapper to the death penalty for supporting protests over the death of a young woman who was not wearing a veil correctly

An Iranian court sentenced rapper Toomaj Salehi to death, who was jailed for more than a year and a half after publicly supporting nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, local media reported on Wednesday. The young Iranian, just 22 years old, was murdered by the Tehran Morality Police for violating the female dress code by letting a lock of her hair show, in 2022.

• Iran executed 834 people last year, the highest number since 2015
• See too: Iranian woman is flogged with 74 strokes after appearing without a veil in public

— The first section of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahã sentenced Toomaj Salehi to death on charges of corruption, supporting sedition, assembly and collusion, as well as propaganda against the system and calling for riots — said the singer’s lawyer, Amir Raisian, quoted by reformist newspaper Shargh Daily.

The lawyer added that the defense will file appeals, as the Revolutionary Court, “in an unprecedented move”, emphasized its independence and did not implement the decision of the Supreme Court, which analyzed the case and issued a ruling to the court of first instance. instance to remove the flaws in the sentence.

— The fact is that the verdict has clear legal conflicts. The contradiction with the Supreme Court’s decision is considered the most important and at the same time the strangest part of this decision — said Raisian.

• Narges Mohammadi, activist fighting for women’s rights in Iran wins Nobel Peace Prize

Aged 33 and with more than two million followers on Instagram, the rapper is known for his protest songs about the country’s government’s social and political issues. He was arrested in October 2022, at the height of protests over the young woman’s death, and was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

Toomaj was eventually released from prison in Isfahã on November 18 on bail after his lawyer filed an appeal with the local Revolutionary Court, according to the Shargh Daily newspaper. However, on the 30th of the same month he was arrested again. In a video on Instagram, the rapper reported suffering physical and psychological torture during prison.

Months of unrest following Amini’s death on September 16, 2022, resulted in hundreds of people killed by local police, including dozens of security officers, and thousands of others arrested. Iranian authorities called the protests “riots” and accused Tehran’s “foreign enemies” of fomenting the unrest.

• Israel attacks target in Iran, say Israeli and American sources; Iranian air defense system has been activated

Nine men were executed in cases related to protests involving murders and other types of violence against security forces.

According to a report released by the United Nations Human Rights Council, the violent repression of mostly peaceful demonstrations in Iran in 2022 and the “institutionalized decriminalization” against women and girls in the country resulted in “crimes against humanity”.

According to the document, local authorities and security forces detained, imprisoned, tortured and murdered thousands of Iranians during the protests.