An Iranian revolutionary court sentenced rapper Tomaj Salehi to death this Wednesday for sedition, propaganda against the system and inciting riots during the protests unleashed in 2022 by the death at the hands of the moral police of Mahsa Amini, the young woman detained for wearing the veil wrong.
The musician’s lawyer, Amir Raeisian, explained to the reformist daily Sharg that the court considered the accusations of sedition, collusion against the system, propaganda against the system and incitement to riots against Salehi as examples of “corruption on earth.” for which he imposed the death penalty. The charge of corruption on earth encompasses a series of crimes against public security and Islamic morality.
A revolutionary court sentenced Salehi to six years and three months in prison in July 2023, a sentence that was rejected on appeal by the Supreme Court, which returned the case to a lower court to study the case again. In November 2023 he was released on bail, but was arrested again just eleven days later.
The rapper and dissident, known artistically by his given name – Tomaj – had already confronted the authorities in the past and was sentenced to six months in prison and a fine in January 2022 for “provoking violence and insurrection.” ”, although the prison sentence was suspended.
Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour was also sentenced to three years and eight months in prison for “propaganda against the system and inciting riots” for his song Baraye (Para), which became the anthem of the protests.
