Iranian authorities have recently freed a well-known rapper, Toomaj Salehi, on bail. He had been incarcerated for over a year due to his support for the national protests that ignited following the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody. This news was reported by local media.
Salehi, aged 32, was apprehended in October 2022 for his vocal support of the protests that began a month earlier. These demonstrations were sparked by the demise of 22-year-old Amini, an Iranian Kurd, who was arrested for allegedly violating strict dress codes for women.
In July, Salehi received a six-year prison sentence for "corruption on earth," which is considered one of Iran's gravest crimes, potentially punishable by death.
Amir Raisian, Salehi's attorney, informed Shargh, a reformist newspaper in Iran, that the Supreme Court, upon reviewing the case, discovered "flaws in the initial sentence." Consequently, the Court ordered Salehi's release from prison on bail. This news was shared late Saturday.
A photo uploaded to Salehi's official Instagram account overnight shows him outside the prison, holding a bouquet of white flowers.
Additional coverage noted Salehi as the "Voice of the whole country," silenced by the Iranian regime, and portrayed him as a "symbol of the revolution." The Iranian officials have denounced the protests that took place last year as foreign-instigated "riots."
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