Poster reading 'Free Toomaj' during the rally organized by the Souliranation association against the death sentence of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi in Toulouse, southwest of France, on May 5, 2024in April for releasing music critical of the country’s government, had the punishment overturned Saturday and will face retrial.
In April, the 33-year-old Salehi was sentenced to death by hanging, which his lawyers at the time vowed to appeal. The death sentence drew fierce rebukes from various government and advocacy groups, as well as artists like Coldplay and Sting. The office of the U.S. Envoy to Iran , “We strongly condemn Toomaj Salehi’s death sentence,” while also mentioning the five-year prison sentence handed out to another artist, the Kurdish-Iranian rapper Saman Yasin. Bob Dylan Stuns Fans With New Set, Surprise Covers on Outlaw Festival LaunchRema’s Culture Was Demonized.
Following the Iranian supreme court’s ruling, the Index on Censorship, Human Rights Foundation and Salehi’s international legal team said in a statement, “While the supreme court’s decision is an important correction to Mr Salehi’s cruel and unlawful treatment, it is critical that his rights are properly respected.”
The statement continued, “Mr Salehi’s case has been returned to Branch 1 of the Isfahan revolutionary court for resentencing. Even a shorter period of imprisonment would be an injustice: Mr Salehi has done nothing other than to call for his, and other Iranians’, fundamental rights to be respected. He must be free to continue his music and seek the necessary medical care he needs following his imprisonment, free of any continued imprisonment, harassment or persecution.