This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Prominent Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, considered by many as the voice of the unrest that has rocked the country’s Islamic leadership for almost a year, has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison on charges of “corruption on Earth” over tweets he posted supporting protesters.
Rosa Etemad Ansari, one of Salehi’s lawyers, disclosed on July 10 that Salehi had been sentenced on the “corruption on Earth” charge, while he was acquitted of the charges of “insulting the founder of the Islamic revolution and leadership and communicating with hostile governments.”
Salehi, who was previously held in solitary confinement, has been moved to a general prison ward, Ansari said.
Ye-One Rhie, a member of Germany’s parliament and one of Salehi’s political sponsors, confirmed the sentencing, adding that she was still demanding to see Salehi “to know how he is doing.”
“If there is anything positive about this prison sentence: Toomaj Salehi has been transferred out of solitary confinement,” she said.
Ansari said that in addition to the prison sentence, Salehi’s passport has been revoked and he will be banned from leaving the country for two years and his passport will be revoked. He has also been deprived of any music production or singing for two years.
Salehi’s trial was held in two closed-door sessions.
Amir Reissian, another lawyer for Salehi, noted that “third parties, reporters, representatives of civil society, and even the client’s family were not allowed to attend the hearings,” and that his lawyers had only been able to meet with their client for half an hour during the eight months he has been in detention.
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.
He 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.
