By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi – who was arrested during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests that swept Iran in 2022 – was sentenced to death, Salehi’s lawyer, Amir Raesian, said Wednesday.
He was sentenced on charges of “corruption on earth” in the strict Islamic Republic, but Raesian said he would appeal the verdict.
The rapper was detained in October 2022 amid nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who had been arrested by the feared morality police for allegedly violating strict Islamic dress codes.
The Iranian Fars News Agency referred to Salehi as “one of the leaders of the riots” and said he tried to flee the country while being arrested.
He was sentenced in July to six years and three months in prison but was released on bail after the Iranian Supreme Court found “flaws” in the original sentence.
The rapper was then rearrested in December after publishing a video saying he was tortured while detained.
Raesian stated that his appeal against the death sentence comes as there were several “inconsistencies” in the new verdict.
He added that the court in Iran’s central city of Isfahan that sentenced Salehi referred to the Supreme Court’s decision as “advice.” It comes amid a broader crackdown by Iran’s Islamic rulers on dissent.
Christians, including former Muslims, have also been targeted by authorities, with several serving or facing lengthy prison sentences or even the death penalty for their faith in Christ, according to rights activists and churches.
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