Iran
People hold placards bearing portraits of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, during a rally in support of Iranian women in Istanbul, Turkey on November 26, 2022. Photo: Yasin Akgul/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iranian Supreme Court on Saturday overturned the death sentence of Toomaj Salehi, a dissident rapper who was arrested in the wake of the 2022 nationwide protests.
“The death sentence Toomaj Salehi has been overturned and based on the appeal decision of the 39th branch of the Supreme Court, the case will be referred to the parallel branch for consideration,” wrote Salehi’s lawyer Amir Raesian on X, adding that Iran’s top court has “avoided an irreparable judicial error.”
In addition to overturning the death sentence, the court has also noted that Salehi’s previous sentence of over six years in prison did not comply with legal provisions, according to Raesian.
Salehi was arrested in October 2022 for publicly backing the protest movement sparked by the death of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini. Outlets affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at the time claimed Salehi was “one of the leaders of the riots,” and he was caught “while trying to flee in the western border region.”
His death sentence was issued in April by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court for “corruption on earth.” Raesian expressed his desire to appeal the ruling at the time, citing “legal contradictions.”
His arrest and sentencing sparked international outcry, with rights organizations, international watchdogs, activists and celebrities from around the world calling for the artist’s release.
Amini, 22, died in police custody on September 16, 2022 after being arrested for allegedly wearing a lax hijab. The death of Amini, a Kurdish woman from Saqqez, Kurdistan Province, ignited the largest protest movement in Iran in the past four decades.
What started initially as a call for greater freedoms for women turned into full-blown anti-government nationwide and international protests with calls for revolution. Hundreds of people were killed and thousands arrested as authorities in Iran launched a brutal crackdown on dissent.
The Islamic republic became the subject of heavy international criticism and sanctions for its repression of the demonstrators and various human rights abuses.
“The death sentence Toomaj Salehi has been overturned and based on the appeal decision of the 39th branch of the Supreme Court, the case will be referred to the parallel branch for consideration,” wrote Salehi’s lawyer Amir Raesian on X, adding that Iran’s top court has “avoided an irreparable judicial error.”
In addition to overturning the death sentence, the court has also noted that Salehi’s previous sentence of over six years in prison did not comply with legal provisions, according to Raesian.
Salehi was arrested in October 2022 for publicly backing the protest movement sparked by the death of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini. Outlets affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at the time claimed Salehi was “one of the leaders of the riots,” and he was caught “while trying to flee in the western border region.”
His death sentence was issued in April by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court for “corruption on earth.” Raesian expressed his desire to appeal the ruling at the time, citing “legal contradictions.”
Amini, 22, died in police custody on September 16, 2022 after being arrested for allegedly wearing a lax hijab. The death of Amini, a Kurdish woman from Saqqez, Kurdistan Province, ignited the largest protest movement in Iran in the past four decades.
What started initially as a call for greater freedoms for women turned into full-blown anti-government nationwide and international protests with calls for revolution. Hundreds of people were killed and thousands arrested as authorities in Iran launched a brutal crackdown on dissent.
The Islamic republic became the subject of heavy international criticism and sanctions for its repression of the demonstrators and various human rights abuses.
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