Iran’s Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence imposed on dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi, as announced by his lawyer, Amir Raisian, on the social media platform X. This decision serves to prevent what could have been an “irreparable judicial error,” according to Raisian. Salehi has been in detention since October 2022 for his involvement in protests against the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being detained for failing to wear a head covering, as mandated by Iranian religious law.
Salehi faced multiple charges, including “corruption on Earth,” which carries the death penalty, as well as “propaganda against the state” and “collaboration with hostile governments,” offenses that could lead to imprisonment for up to ten years. During his detention, Salehi was held in Dastgerd Prison, a maximum-security facility run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), where he was initially denied legal representation and the opportunity to prepare a defense.
The case brought international attention following the release of a video by state media that showed Salehi with apparent injuries and a blindfold, apologizing for his previous statements. His family alleged that he had been tortured into providing a false confession and that his whereabouts had been kept secret from them during the initial phase of his detention. There were even reports of police misleading his father with wrong directions.
This development comes at a critical time for Iran, which is preparing for legislative elections on June 28, following the deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash in May. For more details, you can read further on JURIST.