Iran’s judiciary confirms rapper Toomaj Salehi death sentence
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Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi has been sentenced to death after making public statements in support of nationwide protests in Iran that were sparked by the death in police custody of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/TOOMAJOFFICIAL
DUBAI - Iran’s judiciary confirmed the death sentence of well-known Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi but added that he is entitled to a sentence reduction, state media reported on April 25.
Salehi’s lawyer, Mr Amir Raisian, told Sharq newspaper on April 23 that an Iranian Revolutionary Court had sentenced his client to death
Salehi was arrested in October 2022 after making public statements in support of the nationwide protests, sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini,
On April 25, the judiciary’s media department confirmed Salehi’s death sentence based on charges of “corruption on earth”, adding that the verdict entitled the defendant to a sentence reduction due to “his expression of remorse and cooperation with authorities”.
Salehi has 20 days to appeal his sentence with the Supreme Court. If the sentence is upheld, the judiciary’s amnesty commission would review his case to potentially commute his sentence, the judiciary media’s department added.
In 2023, Iran’s Supreme Court had rejected Salehi’s charges of “corruption on earth”, a capital offence under Iran’s Islamic laws. The ruling has not been enforced, however, in what Salehi’s lawyer called “an unprecedented move” by the judiciary.
The hashtag #FreeToomaj has been trending on social media platforms such as X, with users calling for Salehi’s immediate release. REUTERS
