A jailed Iranian rapper sentenced to demise for supporting anti-government protests has had his sentence overturned on enchantment by the Supreme Courtroom, his lawyer has stated.
Toomaj Salehi was arrested in October 2022 after making public statements in help of protests that had exploded throughout Iran.
His lawyer, Amir Raesian, stated the Supreme Courtroom has now ordered a retrial, and that the judges determined that Salehi’s earlier jail sentence of six years and three months went in opposition to Iran’s multiple-offences guidelines, and was in extra of the authorized punishment.
Salehi, 22, was initially sentenced to jail in July 2023, after avoiding a demise sentence attributable to a Supreme Courtroom ruling.
However the next January, the Revolutionary Courtroom within the metropolis of Isfahan charged him with new offences.
He was sentenced to demise in April for the capital offence of “corruption on earth”.
The musician was additionally discovered responsible of a string of different offences, together with help in sedition, calling for riots, collusion and propaganda in opposition to the state.
Via his songs and lyrics, Salehi was notorious for boldly criticising Iran’s leaders for his or her corruption and crackdowns on dissent.
He had expressed help for the 2022 protests, which had been sparked by the demise of a younger Iranian Kurdish lady, Mahsa Amini, in police custody.
Amini, 22, was visiting Tehran together with her household when she was detained by the non secular police for allegedly sporting an “improper” hijab.
The crackdown on the protests led to the deaths of a whole lot of individuals, and the arrest of hundreds extra.
Earlier than the nationwide unrest, Salehi was already a longtime artist and often called an outspoken determine. He was posting his songs on social media as a result of he was banned from performing in concert events.
