DUBAI, April 25 (Reuters) – Iran’s judiciary on Thursday upheld the death sentence of famous rapper Toomaj Salehi, adding that he could benefit from a reduced sentence due to his cooperation with authorities, media reported Iranian states.
The rapper’s lawyer, Amir Raisian, told Sharq newspaper on Wednesday that an Iranian revolutionary court had sentenced his client to the death penalty on charges related to Iran’s 2022-2023 protests.
Toomaj Salehi was arrested in October 2022 after making public statements in support of protests sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.
On Thursday, the press service of the judiciary confirmed the death sentence of Toomaj Salehi for “corruption on Earth”, adding that he could benefit from a reduced sentence due to “the expression of his remorse and his cooperation with the authorities.
Toomaj Salehi has 20 days to appeal his conviction to the Supreme Court. If his sentence is confirmed, the judicial amnesty commission will study the possibility of commuting it, the press service said.
In 2023, Iran’s Supreme Court dismissed charges against Toomaj Salehi of “corruption on Earth”, an offense punishable by death under Iranian Islamic laws. An “unprecedented measure” had been judged by the rapper’s lawyer, which was however not applied. (Dubai Office; French version Dimitri Rhodes, editing by Kate Entringer)
