Rapper Toumaji Salehi’s dying sentence marks new low in Iran’s crackdown on dissent
24 April 2024 – The dying sentence handed down in Iran towards dissident rapper Toumaj Salehi highlights the flagrant illegality and injustice of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s judicial system, which has been weaponized by state safety forces and used as a instrument to stifle dissent and perpetuate political repression, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) mentioned.
“Toomaj was not solely imprisoned for collaborating in peaceable protest, however now a decrease court docket appearing as a self-serving instrument of the state safety providers has unlawfully sentenced him to dying, ignoring a Supreme Court determination to overturn his unique jail sentence,” mentioned Hadi Ghaemi, Secretary-General of CHRI.
“This appalling manipulation of the judicial course of is geared toward silencing dissent,” Ghaemi continued. “Toumay’s imprisonment stems from his vocal opposition to state repression. It is pressing that supporters of free speech and dissent unite to demand his quick launch.”
In an interview with Iran’s Shargh newspaper on April 24, 2024, one in every of Toumay’s legal professionals, Amir Raessian, famous that the choice by Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Isfahan to condemn Toumay to dying for “corruption on earth” was “an unprecedented transfer that didn’t adjust to the Supreme Court’s determination to overturn Toumay Salehi’s dying sentence.” [prison sentence on the charge of ‘corruption on earth’]The Supreme Court known as this “steering,” underscoring the independence of decrease courts, and sentenced Toumaji Salehi to the heaviest punishment for corruption on earth: the dying penalty.”
Mr. Rathian mentioned the court docket would contemplate expenses of aiding and abetting revolt, meeting and conspiracy. [against national security]Regarding corrupt acts resembling propaganda towards the federal government and inciting riots, that are the topic of Article 286 of the Islamic Penal Code, the Supreme Court “sentenced Salehi to dying, emphasizing that widespread corruption had been established,” however famous that previous to that “this court docket had not concluded that any corrupt acts had been dedicated on earth.”
“But what’s most unusual is that along with the dying penalty, the court docket additionally banned Toumaj Salehi from leaving the nation for 2 years, from participating in creative actions for 2 years, and from attending habits administration lessons on the Isfahan Judicial Authority,” he added. “The court docket additionally carried out a beforehand suspended sentence given to Toumaj Salehi.”
“We will definitely attraction,” Rathian mentioned.
Imprisoned for expressing dissent and executed for refusing to be silent
At his first listening to, Salehi was sentenced to 18 years and three months in jail for “corruption on earth”, that means he’ll serve a minimal sentence of six years and three months.
In an interview with CHRI, human rights lawyer Saeed Dehghan, who has lengthy defended dissidents and political prisoners in Iran and is president and founding father of Parsi Law, defined that the decision violates fundamental ideas of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s judicial system.
“Firstly, the Revolutionary Court is obliged to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling and couldn’t impose the dying penalty. Secondly, as an alternative of decreasing the costs from six to 3, they might not add two extra sentences. Thirdly, all different expenses, together with propaganda, meeting and conspiracy, couldn’t be introduced in underneath the title of corruption on earth,” he mentioned.
“In different phrases, the organisation that orchestrated the policing situation towards this younger rapper is handing out the sentence,” he mentioned.
Salehi, 34, is an underground rapper identified in Iran for his fearless use of his music to talk out towards human rights violations and political oppression within the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Salehi, a local of Shahin Shahr in Isfahan province, has spent a lot of the previous 19 months in jail. His ordeal started when he was arrested by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence brokers in October 2022 for collaborating in mass anti-state protests often called the “Women, Life and Freedom” motion.
In July 2023, Salehi was sentenced to 18 years and three months in jail for “corruption on earth.” This cost, usually used to suppress dissent, carries extreme penalties, together with the dying penalty. Salehi’s alleged “crimes” had been associated to the content material of his lyrics, which harshly criticized state insurance policies, together with ethnic discrimination and insufficient authorized safety for little one laborers, in addition to his involvement in road protests.
Although he was granted bail on November 18, 2023, Salehi’s freedom didn’t final lengthy as his case was despatched to a decrease court docket in Isfahan. Less than two weeks later, on November 30, he was rearrested by plainclothes law enforcement officials armed with “Kalashnikovs and pistols” after he publicly revealed the torture he had endured in state custody.
“Despite this clear violation of the regulation, Toumay’s life is in danger,” Ghaemi mentioned.
“The world’s silence on this blatant try and silence dissent towards Toumay and anybody who challenges the Islamic Republic will solely encourage additional human rights violations by state safety companies,” he mentioned.