Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

Washington, D.C., April 29, 2024 – Today, Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran (ABC) Board Director and 2023 Sydney Peace Prize Laureate Nazanin Boniadi and ABC Executive Director Roya Boroumand sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield to call attention to the death sentence handed down to Toomaj Salehi and urging them to demand that this sentence be reversed and Toomaj be released immediately (full text provided below).

On April 23, Toomaj Salehi, who was initially arrested in October 2022 after releasing music in support of the 2022 protests over the death of a Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody, was given a death sentence following an absurd judicial process that blatantly violated Toomaj Salehi’s right to a fair trial (see background below). In a letter to Secretary Blinken and Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, Boniadi and Boroumand write, “Toomaj is the future of Iran, and the Islamic Republic knows it. That’s why they fear him.” Boniadi and Boroumand urged the senior diplomats to take action to ensure that Toomaj does not go to the gallows:

“We have an opportunity to act now, but if we don’t and the Islamic Republic hangs Toomaj for his legitimate exercise of artistic expression, many other Iranian artists will be at risk. Do not allow the Islamic Republic’s leaders to follow through with this sentence and silence a popular artist who became the voice of the nation in the ‘Woman Life Freedom’ uprisings.”Salehi’s sentence comes amidst a broader crackdown throughout the country; an escalation noted today by the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights’ spokesperson.

About the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

For over two decades, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center (ABC) has been committed to promoting universally recognized human rights norms and democracy in Iran and advancing the right of all victims to accountability. Since its founding, ABC has sought to draw attention to serious human rights violations through research, documentation, publications, and outreach. ABC has also served as a resource for policymakers, international organizations, and human rights organizations investigating and cataloging these abuses. This work is now more critical than ever as the Islamic Republic of Iran is overseeing a horrifying surge in executions to create a pervasive sense of fear across the country and exert control over an increasingly discontent and rebellious population.

Background on Toomaj Salehi

Toomaj Salehi, born on 3 December 1990 in Shahin Shahr, Esfahan Province, is an Iranian rap artist with a prominent social media presence who has used his platform to call for unity among people of different ethnic origins in Iran and in support of citizens who protest human rights violations. Salehi was arrested on 30 October 2022, by agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence organization less than a week after he released a music video of a song on Instagram. The song included these lyrics: “Someone’s crime was that her hair was flowing in the wind. Someone’s crime was that he or she was brave and were outspoken.” Salehi had also been arrested after releasing a song in 2021 and sentenced to a six months suspended prison terms for “insulting the Supreme Leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and “propaganda against the regime,” under Articles 514 and 500 of the Islamic Penal Code.

In the days following his arrest, state media released videos of Salehi “confessing” and apologizing and in less than a month, the prosecutor charged him with multiple charges including “Fesad fel Arz (Corruption on Earth) including through propaganda against the regime,” and “collaboration with a hostile government,” charges that carried the death penalty, and “spreading lies in virtual spaces,” “spreading lies in physical spaces.” He was held incommunicado and denied access to a lawyer of his choice or his family for months.

Branch One of Esfahan Revolutionary Court tried Toomaj Salehi in July 2023 and sentenced him to 18 years and 3 months of imprisonment for which he had to serve more than 6 years and 3 months. According to his lawyer, Amir Raeisian, who spoke to Sharq Daily on April 24, 2024 and on Twitter space on April 25, Salehi was not sentenced to death because the court acquitted him of the charges of “spreading corruption on earth,” and “collaboration with a hostile government.”

Salehi’s lawyer appealed the sentence and in November 2023 a ruling was issued by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, which ordered Branch One of Esfahan Revolutionary Court to address the defects, in the ruling in accordance with Clause 2, Section B of Article 469. Salehi was released on bail on November 18, 2023, while his case was referred to the lower court.

Salehi was rearrested on November 30 after he released a video disclosing the torture he endured while in state custody and explaining that videos released by the state media were doctored and that he had never apologized. Salehi had filed a complaint against Esfahan’s Intelligence on October 29, 2023, for torture, including multiple fractures (leg, hand, finger, and ribs) and severe damage to both eyes. His lawyer had posted a photo of the official complaint on Instagram on December 2, 2023.

What happened next is unprecedented and raises the suspicion that this harsh sentence could be a punishment for the rapper’s release of the video describing his detention conditions. According to Salehi’s lawyer, rather than addressing the flaws of the sentence as per the ruling of the Supreme Court, different judges in Branch One of Esfahan Revolutionary Court claimed that the Supreme Court’s ruling was “advisory” and added the charge of “corruption on earth” to the case. Raeisian told Sharq Daily that the court considered the charges of “aiding and abetting rebellion”, “assembly and conspiracy”, “propaganda against the regime”, and “incitement to riot” under Article 512 of the Penal Code as all falling under the category of "corruption on earth" as per Article 286 of the Penal Code. It has issued a death sentence for Salehi based on its confirmation of the extent of the corruption. The same court had found the charge to be unsubstantiated in Salehi’s first trial.

Monday, April 29, 2024

Dear Secretary Blinken and Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield,

We write on a matter of critical importance.

Last week, Toomaj Salehi, a celebrated Iranian hip-hop artist, was sentenced to death accused of “corruption on Earth” by a court in Esfahan in a blatantly flawed judicial process that violates both Iranian and international human rights laws. We urge you to speak out against this gross injustice in the strongest possible terms. We also urge you to work with like-minded allies and partners to send a clear and strong signal to the Islamic Republic’s authorities and demand that this sentence be reversed and Toomaj be released immediately.

Toomaj won fans and gained prominence for his protest songs concerning Iran’s societal issues and the policies of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Before the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests that were ignited in 2022, Toomaj was already an established artist and outspoken figure facing severe censorship at the hands of the regime. He used social media to share his art as he was banned from performing in concerts. Following the tragic murder of Jina Mahsa Amini, Toomaj’s music took on greater meaning, and he found a greater following. And the Islamic Republic took notice — first arresting him and sentencing him to prison after keeping him in solitary confinement for over 250 days and torturing him, and now sentencing him to death. Toomaj is the future of Iran, and the Islamic Republic knows it. That’s why they fear him. With his art and his platform, he has captured the nation’s consciousness and has echoed the voices of millions of Iranians. The supreme and tragic irony of Toomaj being charged with “corruption on Earth” by a regime whose corruption he seeks to shed light on cannot be lost, and action from the global community is required to correct this injustice before his inhumane punishment is meted out.

We know that the Office of the Special Envoy for Iran deplored the sentence on social media, calling it an example “of the regime’s brutal abuse of its own citizens, disregard for human rights, and fear of the democratic change the Iranian people seek.” We also appreciate the social media post from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan strongly condemning Toomaj’s death sentence. But a social media post or brief comments will not save Toomaj’s life.

Therefore, we urge you to join other states committed to defending freedom and human rights to take action to ensure that Toomaj does not go to the gallows and that his message of justice, equality, and freedom for Iran continues to reverberate across the world. We have an opportunity to act now, but if we don’t and the Islamic Republic hangs Toomaj for his legitimate exercise of artistic expression, many other Iranian artists will be at risk. Do not allow the Islamic Republic’s leaders to follow through with this sentence and silence a popular artist who became the voice of the nation in the ‘Woman Life Freedom’ uprisings.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. We hope that you will do the right thing.

Respectfully,

Nazanin Boniadi
2023 Sydney Peace Prize Laureate;
World Movement for Democracy Steering Committee Member;
Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran Board Member.

Roya Boroumand
Co-Founder, Executive Director Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran;
2024 American Society of International Law Goler T. Butcher Medal.