Another Court Session for Tomaj Salehi Scheduled for March 17

Tomaj Salehi's user page on the social media platform 'X', managed by his associates, announced the holding of another court session for the protesting rapper on March 17. The page called on the United Nations and its Human Rights Council to initiate an independent investigation into his case. It stated: 'Tomaj Salehi will be tried on the baseless charge of spreading falsehoods,' and noted: 'The falsehoods were disseminated not by Tomaj Salehi, but by the incompetent officials of the judiciary at the behest of certain security elements.' The user page added: 'The main accused in this upcoming court is the same group of judicial agents who, without legal documentation, violently and brutally attack a popular artist and secretly fabricate a case and hold a trial behind closed doors for him.' The page emphasized that 'any verdict other than acquittal and freedom for Tomaj Salehi is a clear injustice and oppression,' adding: 'Tomaj Salehi has committed no crime and is illegally imprisoned solely due to the scenario-making of security agents and must be released immediately.' Additionally, it requested the United Nations and its Human Rights Council to begin independent investigations into the case of this Iranian rapper, stating: 'Tomaj Salehi was kidnapped, tortured, and imprisoned for supporting the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, defending human rights, and criticizing the regime's human rights violations.' The page further noted that Tomaj Salehi 'endured 252 days in solitary confinement and further harassment after speaking about the violations he suffered from the regime and was recently sentenced to 7 years in prison; one year from a recent sham trial held without his lawyer and 6 years due to his initial kidnapping.' The user page highlighted that he needs surgery due to a broken leg and should be released immediately and unconditionally, stressing: 'We have evidence of his torture.' Previously, on February 14, Tomaj Salehi's user page reported the confirmation of a one-year prison sentence for the protesting rapper due to a video he recently published. According to this report, the unjust one-year prison sentence, issued in a secret court without the presence of a lawyer and without prior notice, was confirmed as is. The user page added that 'the confirmation of this sentence occurred under circumstances where, more than two months after the attack, beating, and street kidnapping, no legal documentation was provided by the judges for the charges, and the verdict was issued solely according to the orders of security agencies, despite the illegality of the charges being evident.' This rapper was initially arrested in the fall of 2022 for releasing protest rap works in support of the nationwide protests in Iran and the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. Tomaj Salehi's political sponsor told Voice of America: 'The regime is still afraid of his popularity.' Tomaj Salehi's lawyer stated: 'The temporary detention order exceeding one year is illegal.' The user account of Tomaj Salehi stated: 'Reintroducing previous charges is illegal.' Exclusively, a member of the German parliament and Tomaj Salehi's political sponsor called for continued support for this protesting artist. The Revolutionary Court of Isfahan ordered the issuance of an indictment against Tomaj Salehi 'with 10 charges.' Reactions to the arrest of 'Vafadar'; Mehran Aminian stated: 'Artists cannot be restricted with arrests and detentions.'