Toomaj Salehi, a dissident rapper known for his outspoken criticism of the Iranian regime, has been sentenced to death for his involvement in the 2022 protests that swept Iran, according to his lawyer, Amir Raesian.
Salehi, who has faced detention, solitary confinement, and alleged torture since his arrest, received the verdict of "corruption on earth," with the maximum penalty of death upheld by a court in Isfahan. This decision, reversing the higher Supreme Court's ruling, was reported by Iranian pro-reform outlets Shargh and Entekhab.
State media indicated that Salehi's sentence could be subject to reduction by a pardoning committee if he chooses to appeal again.
The rapper, known for his critical lyrics and social media activism, was previously released from prison briefly before being violently rearrested and sent to prison in Isfahan. His case gained international attention after he revealed in a video that he had been tortured and held in solitary confinement for 252 days following his arrest in October 2022, according to statements from UN experts published by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The sentencing of Salehi, along with that of Kurdish-Iranian rapper Saman Yasin, who received a five-year prison term, has drawn condemnation from various quarters, including the United States' Office of the Special Envoy for Iran and UN experts, who have called for their immediate release.
German Member of Parliament Ye-One Rhie, Salehi's political sponsor in Europe, described the death sentence as "absurd and inhumane," criticizing the Iranian regime's treatment of defendants as arbitrary and irresponsible.
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