Who is Toomaj Salehi? All about the 33-year old Iranian rapper sentenced to death

Iran-based rapper Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death on April 26, 2024. This development comes nearly five months after his release on bail in November last year. Salehi has often made headlines for his controversial lyrics addressing the challenges faced by residents of Iran, as per Euro News.

Attorney Amir Raisian confirmed the sentencing in a statement to Sharq Daily, linking it to Salehi's participation in a protest in Iran in 2022. Raisian stated—

"Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, in an action that is unprecedented in its kind, issues a verdict. The Supreme Court of the country did not execute the case of 1401 of Toomaj Salehi and by calling this verdict "guidance" and emphasizing the independence of the lower court, it sentenced Toomaj Salehi to the severest punishment of death on charges of corruption."

Salehi has been arrested multiple times over the years for his frequent criticism of the government. Despite these legal challenges, he has continued to release new songs.

The legal issues started back in 2021, and he allegedly participated in another protest the following year. The protest was linked to a woman named Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody.

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Toomaj Salehi's legal trouble on the rise: Career and other details

Toomaj Salehi, hailing from Gerd Bisheh, is employed in a metalworking factory. He reportedly started his career in 2017 and has several songs to his credit, such as Mouse Hole and Pomegranate. As mentioned earlier, he has participated in several protests and posted videos of them on social media.

During the 2022 protests related to the death of Mahsa Amini, Salehi allegedly stated that he has never feared for his life and that if he is arrested, it would reduce the spirit of the young generation. According to CBC News, he reportedly referred to the fact that women have been an important part of the protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and added—

"In the past, regime forces would sometimes hesitate a bit or respond later to hit women, but now – we see that they really don't care."

He was sentenced to six years and three months in July last year for participating in the protests, as per Al Jazeera. One of his videos received around 45,000 views, and a portion of his lyrics also stated—

"Your whole past is dark… Forty-four years of your government, this is the year of failure."

Following the protests after the death of Mahsa Amini, which led to a chaotic situation in Iran, the authorities launched a crackdown where several people died and were arrested. Toomaj's family members once addressed their fear in an interview with CBC News in 2022 that the regime was reportedly attempting to frame him with charges that could lead to the death penalty.

The family allegedly claimed that he was supposed to be charged with being a "mohareb," which refers to someone who is against God. In an interview with CBC, human rights activist Kaveh Shahrooz later expressed his concern in a statement, saying that the regime has done similar things in the past with other people—

"Such a charge, and the fact that it carries a penalty of death, is hard to comprehend for many Westerners, because it seems so medieval. And it is. It speaks to the fact that Iran's regime has a mindset belonging to the dark ages."

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UN experts request release of Toomaj Salehi from death sentence

The news of Toomaj Salehi's death sentence has sparked considerable debate on social media platforms. In response, UN experts have demanded his release. According to the official website of the UN, the experts stated that "criticism of government policy" through any form of art comes under the right to freedom of expression. They added—

"We are alarmed by the imposition of the death sentence and the alleged ill-treatment of Mr. Salehi which appears to be related solely to the exercise of his right to freedom of artistic expression and creativity."

Amir Raisian, who announced the news of the death sentence, also mentioned plans to protest against the sentence. Further updates on the situation are currently awaited.