In brief
Salehi, who was sentenced to death for his activism following the protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, has been released after serving a year for propaganda against the state.
In a significant development for human rights in Iran, rapper Toomaj Salehi has been released from prison after the overturning of his death sentence. Arrested in October 2022 for his vocal support of protests ignited by the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, Salehi had faced grave charges that included spreading false information and inciting public disorder. His death sentence, initially given for "corruption on earth" in April 2024, was recently reversed. According to reports from the judiciary-run Mizan news agency, Salehi, aged 34, has completed his year-long sentence for propaganda against the state.His music had long criticized Iranian authorities, and he had faced bans from performing even before his arrest. Following the Supreme Court's intervention, his long sentence of six years and three months in July 2023 was mitigated, although he was briefly released on bail and quickly rearrested for sharing personal claims of alleged torture by government officials. Advocacy group Index on Censorship expressed relief at his release, asserting that Salehi should never have been imprisoned in the first place. His plight unfolded alongside a nationwide surge of protests against the Iranian regime, sparked by Amini’s detention and subsequent death while in police custody. The outrage led to widespread demonstrations, resulting in hundreds of casualties and thousands of arrests as citizens rallied against government oppression. Salehi's release is seen as a significant victory for freedom of expression within the country.
