Salehi's lawyer Mustafa Neli announced his intention to challenge the death sentence.
Revolutionary Court Iran sentenced famous Iranian rapper Toumaj Salehi to death on charges of supporting mass anti-government protests in the country in 2022-2023.
This is reported by Reuters.
It is noted that the artist in his songs supported the months-long protests in the country caused by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for improperly wearing a hijab.
The rapper was first arrested in October 2022 after making public statements in support of nationwide protests. In 2023, he was sentenced to six years and three months in prison, but escaped a death sentence from the Supreme Court.
Subsequently, Toumaj Salehi's lawyer Amir Raisian reported that the first department of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court sentenced the rapper to death, despite the decision of the Supreme Court.
The Iranian judicial system has not yet confirmed the verdict. Salehi has 20 days to appeal.
Note that at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Iranian rapper Toumaj Salehi released a video in support of Ukraine.
Human rights activists note that the increase in the number of death sentences indicates the desire of the Iranian authorities to sow fear in society in order to suppress protests and continue their rule. They call on the international community to respond decisively to the actions of the Iranian authorities to prevent hundreds of new victims in the coming months.
The Iranian authorities are actively trying to stop the publication of any information about what is happening in the country. More than 40 journalists have been arrested since the protests began, and those remaining at large complain about surveillance and wiretapping of their phones.
Iranian authorities executed 582 people in 2022, up 333 from 2021, according to Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty. Of these, 71 death sentences were officially announced in only 511 cases, and the executions of at least 16 women and three minors were also reported.
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