A court in Iran has sentenced to death rapper Tumaj Salehi, who in his songs and public posts criticized the regime in the country and for months supported the 2022 protests in Iran, which were sparked by the death of Mahsha Amini in her arms “moral police”. “Salehi has been tortured” emphasizes Amnesty International, which calls for his immediate release and respect for freedom of expression.
As noted by the Athens Agency, Salehi, aged 33, was initially arrested in October 2022, after he made public statements in favor of the protests in the country. He was sentenced in 2023 to six years and three months in prison, however, by the decision of the “First Department of the Revolutionary Court”, of the city of Isfahan, his sentence was changed to the death penalty.
In total, in 2023, Iranian authorities executed 55 people, according to data from the non-governmental organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway.
In a video post, Amnesty International reports that Salehi has been tortured and spent months in solitary confinement. It calls for his immediate release and calls on the Iranian authorities to respect freedom of expression. The Iranian court has not yet confirmed the sentence.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also issued a statement, noting that Salehi was arrested for the second time, after he made public in a video his torture, during his first arrest, after the outbreak of the protests. The UN experts who co-signed the statement are asking Iran for a moratorium on executions, with the aim of abolishing the death penalty in the country.
Salehi has 20 days to appeal the decision.
Tags: Iran Famous rapper sentenced death work support antigovernment protests Press Project
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