Toomaj Salehi

Toomaj Salehi (; born 3 December 1990) is an Iranian rapper and activist mainly known for his protest songs concerning Iran's societal issues and the policies of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In July 2023, the Iranian Government sentenced Salehi to six years in prison for participating in the 2021–2022 Iranian protests. On 24 April 2024, Salehi was sentenced to death for charges linked to Iran's 2022–23 Woman, Life, Freedom movement. The sentence was overturned in June 2024, and he was released from prison on 2 December 2024 having served his prison sentence. His parents were working-class, but the Bakhtiari people, an ethnic group, have historically been tribal leaders and influential in Persian politics. Salehi's father was an activist, and one of thousands of leftists arrested in the 1980s, spending eight years as a political prisoner. His mother was also briefly detained. He started writing his own lyrics when still a teenager. He has sold personal items, such as his motorcycle, to produce music, as the "rap-e farsi" genre has to take place secretly, being banned by the government. Salehi's targets include political repression, religious pressure, the economy, women's rights, and the corruption of the authorities. He was barred from performing live in Iran. Discography

Single tracks

Year Song 2020 Moosh 2020 Dard 2020 Che 2020 Nadidi 2021 Sirk 2021 Torkamanchaay 2021 Yaghout 2021 Tanto 2021 Normal 2021 Sir Ta Piaz 2021 Bazmande 2021 Farshid 2021 Soorakh Moosh 2021 Anar 2022 Karoon 2022 Hiroshima 2022 Noghte Koor 2022 Nadidi 2 2022 Tanaab Dar 2025 Shab Hamishe Shab Nemimune 2025 Maa Hanooz Zendeim 2025 Pileh 2025 Otaghe Bi Panjareh 2025 Dorse Abi 2026 Saale Balvaa 2026 Sootoon 2026 Lalaee 2026 Faro Ri Rumore Del Ratatata 2026 Pichak 2026 Azadi 2026 To Chi? 2026 Rok 2026 Mowji

Arrests and sentencing Iran's security forces arrested Salehi on 12 September 2021, in his house in Shahin Shahr, near Isfahan. He was charged with "propaganda against the regime" and "insulting the supreme leadership authority". He was released on bail on 21 September, pending a trial. On 23 January 2022, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Shahin Shahr sentenced Salehi to six months in jail and a fine.

Salehi was arrested again on 30 October 2022, during the Mahsa Amini protests. Fars news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, described him as one of “the leaders of the riots who promoted violence.” The state media also said that Salehi was arrested during a border-crossing, a claim which was denied by Salehi's social media administrator, who announced that he was arrested in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, not a border province. The state-backed Young Journalists Club published a video of a blindfolded man it claimed to be Toomaj who admitted, apparently under duress, to making "a mistake". Salehi was reportedly placed in Evin prison. According to his family, Iranian authorities have tortured Salehi while in captivity.

His last music YouTube video posted prior to his October 2022 arrest included the lyrics, "Someone's crime was dancing with her hair in the wind. Someone's crime was that he or she was brave and criticized... 44 years of your government. It's the year of failure."

On 26 November 2022, the family of Toomaj said his life was at risk after he went on trial behind closed doors.

German member of parliament Ye-One Rhie and Canadian Member of Parliament Jonathan Wilkinson both became his sponsors with an aim to improve conditions during his imprisonment and prevent execution. Tasnim News Agency — a semi-official news agency in Iran — was criticized for disinformation by human rights lawyers.

In July 2023, he was sentenced to six years and three months in prison. He was briefly released on bail on 18 November 2023. During this time he released a video in which he alleged that he had been severely tortured after his arrest, and placed in solitary confinement for 252 days, but had not "confessed". He said that he had sued the court of employees of state and media news and Isfahan Province General Intelligence Department, but the judicial system denied that there ever was a lawsuit.

A new trial was held in a lower revolutionary court; this overturned the decision of the Supreme Court and added new charges, including "propaganda against the state" and "corruption on Earth." He was given 20 days to appeal the ruling.

The death penalty in Iran is usually carried out by hanging, with very little prior notice. In an interview with Shargh on 24 April 2024, one of Salehi's lawyers, Amir Raesian, argued that this death sentence did not comply with the overturning of his original sentence by the Supreme Court.

On 2 December 2024, Salehi was released after serving his prison sentence.

Support Salehi has the support of many young Iranians, some of whom have staged street protests, as well as the Iranian diaspora. On social media, they have used the hashtag #FreeToomajSalehi.

Awards In 2023, while detained in Iran, Salehi received the Freedom of Expression Art Award from Index on Censorship in recognition of what the organization described as his "unwavering commitment to using his craft as a weapon against injustice".