Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi has been handed a death sentence for his alleged involvement in the widespread protests that rocked Iran in 2022. Salehi's lawyer, Amir Raesian, confirmed the issuance of the execution order via a tweet on Wednesday.
Following his arrest, Salehi, known for his critical stance against the Iranian regime in his rap lyrics and social media posts, was reportedly subjected to torture during his detention in solitary confinement.
In a surprising turn of events, a court in Isfahan overturned the Supreme Court's decision on Salehi's case, upholding the original verdict of 'corruption on earth' and imposing the maximum penalty of death, as reported by Iranian pro-reform outlets Shargh and Entekhab.
While state media mentioned the possibility of Salehi's sentence being reduced by a pardoning committee if he chooses to appeal, the situation remains dire for the 32-year-old artist.
Notably, Salehi had been briefly released from prison last year before being violently rearrested by the authorities in Isfahan. His re-arrest came after he disclosed details of his torture and prolonged solitary confinement in a video, which drew international attention and condemnation.
Another artist, Kurdish-Iranian rapper Saman Yasin, who was also detained during the 2022 protests, faced a different ordeal. Yasin was reportedly sent to a psychiatric hospital twice within a year and subsequently sentenced to five years in prison by a court in Tehran, according to human rights groups.
The protests in Iran were triggered by the suspicious death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody, leading to a harsh crackdown by Iranian authorities on the demonstrators.
The United States' Office of the Special Envoy for Iran denounced Salehi's death sentence and Yasin's imprisonment, condemning the Iranian regime's actions as a violation of human rights and an impediment to the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people.
