A popular Iranian rapper has been sentenced to death after his music became part of anti-regime protests, his lawyer said.
Toomaj Salehi, 33, was arrested in 2022 after publicly supporting the wave of protests sparked by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
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Through his music, he bravely criticized Iran’s leadership, denouncing its corruption and crackdown on dissent.
In what became known as the veil revolution, Salehi participated in the unprecedented uprising that broke out across Iran in October 2022 after Amini was beaten to death for wearing an “inappropriate” hijab.
He was sentenced in 2023 to six years and three months in prison, but avoided the death penalty thanks to a ruling from the Supreme Court.
“The Branch One of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, in an unprecedented measure, did not enforce the Supreme Court ruling… and sentenced Salehi to the harshest punishment,” said his lawyer Amir Raisian.
The Revolutionary Court accused Salehi of “collaboration in sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the system and calling for riots,” he added.
The Iranian justice system has not yet confirmed the sentence.
Salehi has 20 days to appeal the ruling.
“We will definitely appeal this verdict,” his lawyer said.
Months of unrest followed Amini’s death on September 16, 2022 and hundreds of people were killed, including dozens of security personnel, and thousands more were arrested.
Iranian officials called the protests “riots” and accused Tehran’s foreign enemies of fomenting the unrest.
Nine men have been executed in cases related to protests that involved killings and other violence against security forces.
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