Who is Toomaj Salehi, the rapper sentenced to death by Iran for his critical songs

An Iranian court sentenced Toomaj Salehi, a prominent protest rapper, to death in a trial his lawyer described as “the strangest and most bizarre judicial procedure” he has ever seen.

The death sentence against Salehi is based on charges related to protests that took place in Iran in 2022 and 2023, following the death in police custody of Mahsa Aminia 22-year-old Kurdish woman who was arrested for allegedly breaking headscarf rules.

Salehi’s lawyer said he will appeal the verdict and the court indicated that the sentence can be replaced by a long prison sentence, starting from “repentance and cooperation with the judicial procedure” by Salehi.

However, the sentence provoked widespread condemnation both nationally and internationally. Human rights activists expressed their deep concern, while citizens on the Iranian streets listen to his songs in solidarity with the artist.

The 33-year-old is one of Iran’s most popular rappers.

Since his childhood he has lived with his family in the province of Isfahanin central Iran.

His father spent eight years behind bars as a political prisoner. Toomaj dedicated himself to working in the family business, designing and producing medical parts and instruments.

Salehi started rapping at age 24 and his lyrics are often about discrimination, poverty, corruption and repression.

Before he became famous as a rapper, he was arrested for wearing a t-shirt with an image of US dollar bills.

A few months before the protests over the Amini case, he was arrested for a song titled “Buy a Mousetrap to Hide”, in which he harshly criticized the policies of the Iranian authorities and those he considered supporters and apologists of the government within Iran. and abroad.

A few days later, he was in bail.

Salehi’s bravery in criticizing conditions in Iran has been recognized in numerous countries. In Italy, for example, the city of Florence chose him honorary citizen. Last summer, the institute “Global Music Awards” presented Salehi with a prize for the song “Divination,” in which he predicts the future of the Iranian authorities.

Following the announcement of his death sentence, Salehi’s supporters, risking arrest, placed a sign in his support on a pedestrian bridge crossing a Tehran highway, an image that has been widely shared.

Shortly after the start of the protests in 2022, Salehi shared a video message on his social media accounts highlighting “the need to confront the government.”

He spent about two months in hiding for fear of arrest, but security forces eventually found and captured him.

Reports indicate that Salehi and his companions were subjected to excessive violence during detention. Post-arrest images showed Salehi with serious injuries and bruises on his facewhich sparked global outrage and condemnation.

After more than 250 days of isolation and one year in prisonSalehi was eventually released on bail in November 2023. However, just 12 days later he was arrested again and transferred to prison.

Initially, the Iranian judiciary claimed that Salehi had been recaptured by “spread false insinuations”after a formal complaint from torture against those who participated in the arrest, interrogation and detention of the artist.

On social networks there are numerous expressions of support for Salehi.

Mohsen Berhani, a lawyer and university professor in Iran, said on X, formerly Twitter, that he is confident that the Supreme Court will annul the death sentence against the singer.

Keyhan Kalhora famous Iranian composer and musician, shared a photo of Salehi on his Instagram with a supporting message: “Toomaj Salehi must be released, if we remain silent, it means we support oppression.”

Ye-One Rhie, a member of the German Parliament, called the death penalty an “inhumane” act and said this decision “only shows one point: how afraid the Islamic Republic is of Toomaj.”

Some Iranian analysts see Salehi’s sentencing as a message to the opposition about the authorities’ determination to silence any voices of protest and opposition in Iran.

In an interview with the BBC, Iqbal Iqbali called the death sentence against Salehi “revenge by the Islamic Republic against those who participated in the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ protest movement and a warning that opponents in Iran will continue to be executed.”

It’s a statement, United Nations experts demanded Salehi’s immediate release and urged the Iranian authorities to reverse the decision to sentence him to death.

“Criticism of government policy, including through artistic expression, is protected by the right to freedom of expression and the right to participate in cultural life. It should not be criminalized,” the experts stated. “Art should be allowed to criticize, provoke and cross the boundaries of any society.”

“As hard as Salehi’s songs are for the government, they are a manifestation of artistic freedom and cultural rights,” they said.

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