The fate of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, who was arrested during the recent nationwide protests, hangs in the balance as a court considers a verdict and a possible death sentence after holding a closed-door trial on charges widely seen as politically motivated.
Salehi, considered by many as the voice of the unrest that has rocked Iran’s Islamic leadership for almost a year, had his second court hearing on July 2, with a verdict expected to be announced within a week, according to German lawmaker Ye-One Rhie, one of Salehi’s political guarantors.
“What is the Iranian regime so afraid of?” she asked in a post on Twitter warning of the imminent announcement of Salehi’s sentence.
“The verdict for Toomaj could be announced anytime now. So, raise awareness and make some noise for him,” she added.
Charges against Salehi include corruption on Earth for tweeting, propaganda against the regime, cooperation with a hostile government, and encouraging people to commit chaos and unrest, disrupting order, spreading lies, and insulting the leadership.SEE ALSO:Protesting Rapper’s Video Foretelling Iranian Regime’s Future Leads To Arrest As Fans Fear For His Life
Under the Islamic republic’s criminal laws, charges such as corruption on Earth could potentially result in the death penalty.
International observers have decried the legal proceedings against the rapper, whose lawyer Amir Raeisian says he has been denied full access to trial materials. In December, Raeisian said he had only been granted access to one of the four volumes of his client’s case file.
Despite this, Raesian praised Salehi’s composure during the trial, noting that he provided detailed and clear statements in court.
Salehi, 33, has gained prominence for his lyrics that rail against corruption, widespread poverty, state executions, and the killing of protesters in Iran. His songs also point to a widening gap between ordinary Iranians and the country’s leadership, accusing authorities of “suffocating” the people without regard for their well-being.
Salehi was arrested on November 30 amid protests that erupted following the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini while she was in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation. In the days leading up to his arrest, Salehi was living clandestinely, releasing numerous messages in support of the protests.
Human rights sources say they have yet to obtain accurate statistics on the number of detainees in the protests but the head of Iran’s judiciary announced on May 17 that about 90,000 protesters were pardoned by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The activist HRANA news agency says that more than 500 people have been killed during the unrest, including 71 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread dissent.
Source » shabtabnews