Iranian rapper, 33, sentenced to death for supporting hijab protests in songs & calling for a ‘revolution’

A POPULAR Iranian rapper has been sentenced to death after his music became part of the anti-regime protests, his lawyer said.

Toomaj Salehi, 33, was arrested in 2022 after publicly backing the wave of demonstrations triggered by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Toomaj Salehi’s lawyer said he was handed down the harshest punishment

Through his music, he bravely criticised the leadership of Iran, railing against their corruption and crackdowns on dissent.

In what became known as the headscarf revolution, an unprecedented uprising broke out across Iran in October 2022 after Amini was beaten to death for wearing an “improper” hijab.

Salehi was sentenced in 2023 to six years and three months in prison, but avoided a death sentence due to a Supreme Court ruling.

“Branch One of the Revolutionary Court of (the central city of) Isfahan in an unprecedented move, did not enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling …. and sentenced Salehi to the harshest punishment,” his lawyer Amir Raisian told Sharq.

Iranian judiciary has not confirmed the sentence yet.

Salehi has 20 days to appeal the ruling.

“We will definitely appeal this verdict,” his lawyer said

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During the protests,mMany took to social media to share videos of themselves tearing off the scarfs in a direct challenge to the country’s fanatical ruling mullahs