Toomaj Salehi

Toomaj Salehi (Persian: توماج صالحی; born 3 December 1990) is an Iranian hip hop artist mainly known for his protest songs concerning Iran's societal issues and the policies of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.[1][2][3]

According to Salehi, his day job is as a laborer at a metalworking factory.[4][5] The Iranian government sentenced Salehi to six years in prison for participating in the 2022 Iran protests.[6] On April 24, 2024 Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death for charges linked to Iran's 2022-23 ”Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” (Women, Life, Freedom) movement, his lawyer told Iranian newspaper Sharq.[7]

Arrests

Iran's security forces arrested Salehi on September 12, 2021, in his house in Shahin Shahr, near Isfahan. He was charged with 'propaganda against the regime' and 'insulting the supreme leadership authority.'[8][9] He was released on bail on September 21, pending a trial. On January 23, 2022, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Shahin Shahr sentenced Salehi to six months in jail and a fine.[10][11]

Salehi was arrested again on October 30, 2022, during the Mahsa Amini protests.[12][13] Fars news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, described him as one of “the leaders of the riots who promoted violence.”[14] The state media also said that Salehi was arrested during a border-crossing, a claim which was denied by Salehi's social media administrator, who announced that he was arrested in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, not a border province.[14]

Salehi was reportedly charged with "propagandistic activity against the government, cooperation with hostile governments and forming illegal groups with the intention of creating insecurity in the country".[15] The state-backed Young Journalists Club published a video of a blindfolded man it claimed to be Toomaj who admitted, apparently under duress, to making "a mistake". Salehi was reportedly placed in Evin prison.[16][17] According to his family, Iranian authorities have tortured Salehi while in captivity.[18]

His last music YouTube video posted prior to his October 2022 arrest included the lyrics, "Someone's crime was dancing with her hair in the wind. Someone's crime was that he or she was brave and criticized... 44 years of your government. It's the year of failure."[19][20]

On 26 November 2022, the family of Toomaj said his life was at risk after he went on trial behind closed doors.[21] On 27 November, Iranian media revealed that Salehi was charged with "corruption on Earth", an offense which could carry the death penalty. Salehi was also accused of spreading propaganda, co-operating with a hostile government, and incitement to violence.[22] According to Salehi's cousin Azadeh Babadi, Salehi was denied the right to hire a lawyer. Babadi believes the Iranian government is fabricating evidence.[23]

German member of parliament Ye-One Rhie and Canadian Member of Parliament Jonathan Wilkinson have both become his sponsor with an aim to improve conditions during his imprisonment and prevent execution.[24]

In this affair, Tasnim News Agency -a semi-official news agency in Iran- was criticized for disinformation by rights lawyers.[25]

Post bail

He was released on bail in November 2023, he had sued to the court of employees of state and media news [26] and Isfahan Province General Intelligence Department but it was denied by Judicial system that there ever was a lawsuit. He posted a video on the internet detailing his experience with torture while in prison, such as adrenaline shot injections, getting beaten up and staying in a constantly lit cell for more than 200 days. The Department of intelligence arrested him again for "fake news" in Babul on November 30th, 11 days after he was temporarily released after his bail being paid. His lawyer tweeted that he should have been arrested before Toomaj, that his rearrest is without grounds and therefore a kidnapping. He was getting media coverage after talking to high profile people and events and other artists [27][28][29][30]

On 24 April 2024, he was sentenced to death and has 20 days to appeal the ruling as per his lawyer Amir Raisian.[7]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toomaj_Salehi