Iran’s supreme court has overturned Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi’s death sentence on charges linked to the country’s 2022-23 period of unrest, his lawyer wrote in a post on the X social media platform on Saturday.
“The death sentence of #Toomaj_Salehi was overturned and based on the appeal decision … of the Supreme Court, the case will be referred to (another) branch for consideration,” lawyer┬аAmir Raisian wrote on X.
“As expected, the Supreme Court avoided an irreparable judicial error,” Raisian┬аsaid in the social media post.
There was no immediate official confirmation of the ruling.
Salehi’s songs supported protests sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish Iranian woman arrested in the capital┬аTehran┬аfor allegedly wearing an “improper” hijab.
Salehi, 33, was initially arrested in October 2022 after┬аmaking public statements in support of the months-long countrywide protests.
In late 2023, just two weeks after being released on bail,┬аSalehi┬аwas┬аarrested again after publishing a video in which he talks about being┬аtortured in prison. He said his head and face were┬аfrequently beaten, and he suffered fractures to his hands and legs.
Supporters of jailed dissident Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi have launched this campaign on social media to bring attention to his case, saying heтАЩs at risk of execution.
In April, an Iranian court sentenced him┬аto death on the charge┬аof “spreading corruption on Earth,”┬аRaisian said at the time. It’s a┬аcharge often used against political dissidents.
After that sentencing, U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said the United States condemns the┬аIranian regime’s use of the death sentence as a “tool to suppress people’s human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
Iranian dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi talks to CBC News about whatтАЩs happening in his country.
