Iran condemns ‘world’s bravest rapper’ to death for supporting protests | Global News

Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi has been sentenced to death for his involvement in the protests that swept across Iran in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini. Salehi, a prominent hip-hop artist, voiced his support for the protests, which were sparked by the death of Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman who died in police custody after being arrested for wearing an “improper” hijab.

Salehi, 33, was initially arrested in October 2022 after publicly expressing solidarity with the demonstrations. He used his rap compositions to articulate his support and shared images and videos online, earning him the title of the “world’s bravest rapper” by Western media.

In 2023, Salehi was sentenced to six years and three months in prison, narrowly avoiding a death sentence after a Supreme Court ruling. However, his case was sent back to court for re-evaluation, and he now faces new charges after discussing being tortured while in custody.

His lawyer, Amir Raisian, told Sharq that the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan imposed the death sentence on Salehi, disregarding the Supreme Court’s decision. Salehi has a 20-day window to challenge the verdict.

In a separate development, Mahsa Amini’s uncle, Safa Aeli, was sentenced to over five years in prison for expressing dissent. Amini’s death sparked widespread protests across Iran, resulting in the loss of over 500 lives.

Aeli, aged 30, received a sentence of five years and four months in prison for participating in subversive activities, anti-government propaganda, and insulting the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was previously arrested and allegedly assaulted before being released on bail.