Closure of One of Tomaj Salehi's Cases and Possibility of His Release

Tomaj Salehi's lawyer stated that the case from 2022 against Tomaj Salehi has been closed with the issuance of a "suspension of prosecution" order, and it is likely that the end of his imprisonment will be announced soon. Mustafa Nili, a lawyer, spoke to Shargh Network on Tuesday, December 5, about the latest status of Tomaj Salehi, the protest rapper who is currently in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. He mentioned that this case was sent to the Fifth Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Isfahan after the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic overturned a previous ruling. On Sunday, this branch made a decision regarding the remaining charges against Mr. Salehi related to the 2022 protests. According to Salehi's lawyer, the Fifth Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Isfahan declared the case completely closed by issuing a suspension of prosecution order. Mustafa Nili also discussed Salehi's last case, which involved the charge of "propaganda against the regime" that was formed after his temporary release, resulting in a one-year prison sentence. He noted that although there is a disagreement regarding the starting point for calculating the prison term and the amount of time he has served, they hope that considering the time Salehi has spent in prison without any leave, the end of his imprisonment will be announced soon. Tomaj Salehi, the protest rapper, was one of four political prisoners for whom Kianoush Sanjari, a journalist and political activist, called for their release. Salehi was arrested in early November 2022 in connection with nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police. He was released on bail a year later but was re-arrested a few days after and sent back to Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. Ultimately, on April 30 of this year, Salehi was tried in the First Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Isfahan on charges of "gathering and collusion, and aiding in rebellion" and was sentenced to death. The news of his death sentence received widespread coverage in international media and sparked numerous reactions. Additionally, a political sponsor of Tomaj Salehi supported calls for the release of this imprisoned protest rapper. Tomaj Salehi has been in limbo in prison for over 700 days. Kianoush Sanjari's death is seen as a reflection of the "brutality" of the Islamic Republic. Other political prisoners have also expressed their concerns about the state of political prisoners in Iran.