Award Ceremony for 'Havel' Prize to Tomaj Salehi; U.S. Welcomes It

The ceremony for the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize awarded to Tomaj Salehi, a protesting singer sentenced to death in Iran, took place on Tuesday, June 5, at the 'Human Rights Foundation' in Oslo. During the ceremony, Negin Niknam, the administrator of Tomaj Salehi's social media pages, received the award on behalf of the imprisoned singer. Tomaj Salehi, along with Gabriela Montero, a Venezuelan pianist and human rights activist, and Tahir Hamut Izgil, a Uyghur poet and filmmaker critical of the Chinese Communist regime, was awarded the 'Havel' Prize. Following the ceremony, the Persian account of the U.S. State Department on the social media platform X welcomed the awarding of this prize, emphasizing that Tomaj Salehi's music 'reflects the voice of millions of silenced people in Iran.' The U.S. State Department's message stated: 'We congratulate Tomaj Salehi on receiving the 2024 Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent and commend the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for recognizing his courage. His music reflects the voice of millions of silenced individuals inside Iran and depicts the grievances of a generation.' The message added: 'No one should be punished for art and freedom of expression. We are deeply concerned about the risk of execution for Tomaj Salehi and many Iranians who are routinely deprived of fair trials and other basic human rights.' The 'Human Rights Foundation' announced on May 23 that Tomaj Salehi is one of the three winners of the Václav Havel Prize. In the foundation's statement, it was noted that Salehi's songs support the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement, and after his release from prison, he revealed his torture and forced confessions in prison. After being re-arrested, he was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan. The 'Human Rights Foundation' also referenced Salehi's protest song 'The Hair of Freedom that Flutters in the Wind, a Brave Heart with a Sharp Tongue,' which gained widespread popularity during the popular uprising of 2022. The Havel Prize is named in honor of Václav Havel, the late President of the Czech Republic, poet, playwright, and former head of the 'Human Rights Foundation,' who led a non-violent revolutionary movement that freed Czechoslovakia from communist rule. The 'Human Rights Foundation' stated that Tomaj Salehi creatively challenged the arbitrary and unjust system in his country. The foundation noted that every year, in his honor, it recognizes 'artists who courageously unveil the face of tyranny and embody the concept of living in truth.' Thor Halvorsen, the founder of the 'Human Rights Foundation,' emphasized that the works of all three artists deserving of the 'Havel' Prize are a testament to 'extraordinary courage and genius.' The news of the death sentence issued for this protesting singer by the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan has sparked a widespread global outcry against this ruling, which continues. Amnesty International, on May 17, sent a letter to the head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic calling for the cancellation of Tomaj Salehi's death sentence. This human rights organization emphasized that this Iranian rapper was sentenced to death solely for participating in the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement and for posting messages on social media criticizing the Islamic Republic officials, asserting that his trial was extremely 'unjust.' The letter stated that Tomaj Salehi was tortured during his detention and continuously beaten.