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Iranian dissident rapper Toumaji Salehi was sentenced to death earlier this week for releasing music criticizing the government and supporting the Iran 2022 protests.
Salehi's lawyer, Amir Resian, confirmed the verdict. twitter, writes, “The order for the execution of Toumaji Salehi has been issued.'' Resian plans to appeal the sentence, which could result in his sentence being reduced.
As reported by The New York Times, Salehi was arrested in October 2022 during the riots sparked by the death of 22-year-old Martha Amini, who was arrested by Iran's moral police and later died in custody. arrested. Salehi was eventually charged with “spreading corruption on earth” for releasing music criticizing the government and encouraging his supporters to join protests in videos shared on social media. , punishable by death.
After his arrest, there were allegations that Salehi was tortured in solitary confinement, with U.N. experts saying he suffered a broken nose, multiple fractures and injuries to his legs. There were also concerns that his court hearing was held behind closed doors without a lawyer present.
In July 2023, a lower court in the city of Isfahan ultimately sentenced Salehi to more than six years in prison, with a US State Department document also banning him from making music or singing for two years. In November, Salehi was released on bail after Iran's Supreme Court found the original sentence flawed, but he was arrested again just two weeks later.
Salehi's lawyer said there were “obvious legal contradictions” in the death sentence handed down by the Isfahan court, calling it “unprecedented” as it effectively ignored the ruling of the highest court.
The death sentence has drawn heavy criticism from various governments and advocacy groups.Office of the US Special Envoy to Iran Said“We strongly condemn the death sentence of Toumaji Salehi,” he said, referring to the five-year prison sentence handed down to another artist, Kurdish-Iranian rapper Saman Yassin.
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“We call for their immediate release,” the statement continued. “These are the latest examples of the Iranian regime's brutal abuses against its own people, its disregard for human rights, and its fear of the democratic change the Iranian people seek.”
Julie Trevor, director of PEN America's Artists at Risk Connection project, called the ruling “an outrageous attack on human rights and freedom of expression,” adding: The universal and fundamental rights to freedom of expression and artistic freedom must be recognized and protected from such deliberate violence. ”
News of Salehi's sentencing also spread to parts of the American hip-hop community that have spoken out on Salehi's behalf in the past.Meek Mill on social media Posted “Release Toumaji!” and “He was sentenced to death for the song that set him free, damn it.”
In a statement shared with Rolling Stone magazine, lawyer and Iranian-American activist Erika Le Bon called Salehi “an Iranian citizen with unparalleled courage to express life under a brutal regime through hip-hop music. 's beloved icon.' Like most art, it is illegal in Iran. ”
He added: “It's hard to believe that we live in a time when incredibly talented rap artists are being lynched from cranes for their music libraries, but that's not what Iranians face every day. “This is a reality that we continue to face every day from the past.” 45 years. ”
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Le Bon noted that the Iranian government “tends not to execute people who are known to the international community.” This has led supporters of the Iranian diaspora in particular to adopt the “Say Name to Save Lives'' campaign to raise international awareness of Iranian political prisoners. “This is therefore part of an urgent campaign to get our readers to say as much as possible about Toomaj using the hashtags #FreeToomaj or #ToomajSalehi,” Le Bon said. “Every comment makes a difference. If we were wrong, what have we lost by trying?” (Read Le Bon's full statement below.)
Erica Le Bon statement regarding Toumaji Salehi
As any American hip-hop artist or listener knows, rap has always been a conduit to the streets and the pulse of the streets. This music that moves mountains, inspires us, shakes us and awakens generations, while telling real life stories under the harshest of conditions, piercing us with felt truths. He speaks in mesmerizing poetic prose that bounces perfectly over the beat. This is Toumaji Salehi for Iran. Known to us as the “Iranian Tupac,” he became a beloved icon for Iranians for his unparalleled courage to express life under a brutal regime through his hip-hop music, an artistic expression that… Like most art, it is illegal. In Iran. Not only is this illegal, but it exposes the artist to false charges such as “corruption of the earth,” which carries a death sentence. Sure enough, a few days ago, Iranian society was once again shaken to its core when it learned that Mr. Toumaji had been sentenced to death by hanging after a two-year prison sentence (with short-term bail) for making rap music. . It's hard to believe that we live in a time where incredibly talented rap artists are lynched with cranes for their music libraries, but that's what Iranians face every day, This is a reality that I have been facing every day for 45 years.
In the dystopian world of cures, there is one avenue that could help Tooumaji. Iranians in the diaspora have become aware of the fact that the regime tends not to execute people known to the international community. We have shown examples of prisoners being released on bail or having their sentences commuted through our 'Say Your Name to Save a Life' campaign on social media that uses hashtags to draw attention to their cause. I've seen many. This was before social media existed. Through telling the stories of political prisoners to international media. We've seen them backtrack and go unfulfilled once they get into the news and see the reality of the regime and its atrocities and realize that their actions aren't worth the ripples they cause. So this is part of an urgent campaign for our readers to talk as much as possible about Toomaj using the hashtags #FreeToomaj or #ToomajSalehi. Every comment makes a difference. If we were wrong, what did we lose by trying?
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Mr. Tumasi is not the only political prisoner at risk of execution. Lesser-known names such as Reza Rasaei, Mojahed Kourour and Abbas Delis are just a few at risk of imminent execution. Notably, American Jamshid Sharmahad, who was kidnapped by Iran and has been held in solitary confinement for the past three years, has also been sentenced to death by hanging, with a deadline of May 11th if the US government does not extradite him. ing. His ransom is over $2 billion.
Mr. Toumaji has been making Iran's voice heard, and now it's time for us to make his voice heard, as well as all other political prisoners in Iran who risked their lives for truth and freedom. The same is true.