Iranian rapper sentenced to death for supporting anti-hijab protests

Iranian rapper sentenced to death for supporting anti-hijab protests

Toomaj Salehi, a rapper from Iran, has been sentenced to death by an Iranian court for his involvement in supporting protests against compulsory hijab laws. Salehi’s activism led to his imprisonment for over a year and a half.

His support for the wave of demonstrations was sparked by the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, who died shortly after being arrested for wearing a hijab deemed “improper” in 2022. The protests, which gained momentum following Amini’s death, sought to challenge the strict enforcement of hijab regulations in Iran.

Salehi’s case underscores the ongoing tensions between authorities and activists advocating for greater personal freedoms in the country. Despite facing severe consequences, Salehi remained steadfast in his support for the cause.

The sentencing of Salehi reflects the Iranian government’s hardline stance against dissent and highlights the challenges faced by those who dare to speak out against societal norms.

His attorney Amir Raisian on Wednesday said, “Branch 1 of Isfahan Revolutionary Court… sentenced Toomaj Salehi to death on the charge of corruption on Earth.”

Salehi was arrested in October 2022 after publicly supporting the anti-hijab protests.

The Revolutionary Court had accused Salehi of “assistance in sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the system and calling for riots.”

The Iranian Supreme Court had reviewed the case and issued a ruling to the lower court to “remove the flaws in the sentence.”

However, the court had “in an unprecedented move, emphasized its independence and did not implement the Supreme Court’s ruling,” according to Raisian.

Raisian said the rapper “will certainly appeal against the sentence.”

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