Court Hearing for New Charges Against Tomaj Salehi Held; Crime: Spreading Falsehoods and Inciting Violence

The court hearing for the 'new charges' against Tomaj Salehi, the protest rapper, was held on Saturday, March 16, 2024, via conference. Salehi's associated page described the charges against him as 'spreading falsehoods and inciting violence.' Amir Reisiyaan, Salehi's lawyer, stated in an interview with 'Shahrvand' that, 'Considering that prisoners attend their hearings virtually, Mr. Salehi also participated in the session via video conference. His charges included 'spreading falsehoods through computer systems' and 'encouraging violent acts through computer systems' under Article 746 of the Penal Code.' He continued, 'During the hearing, Mr. Salehi did not accept the charges against him and provided his explanations. My colleague Mr. Reza Arabzadeh and I, as his lawyers, also presented our explanations.' Regarding the status of Salehi's complaint against the case officers from his previous case, Reisiyaan noted, 'This case is currently in the stage of determining local jurisdiction, as for the second time, the prosecuting court has deemed itself incompetent. We are waiting for the competent branch to be determined.' According to Amir Reisiyaan, 'Currently, the prosecutor's office, in addition to reiterating all previous charges, has added two new charges, including 'aiding in rebellion' and 'conspiracy and collusion against national security,' to the case from 2022, even for charges for which he was acquitted. This indictment has gone back to court, and the court has asked us to explain our objections. My colleague Mr. Mostafa Nili and I, as the lawyers for the case, have done this and are awaiting a decision from the court.' Tomaj Salehi, who is imprisoned in 'Dastgerd' prison in Isfahan, described the elections on March 11 in Iran as a 'show' and called for a 'boycott.' After the elections, which reportedly had a very low public participation rate, he wrote on social media platform X: 'I congratulate ourselves on our 9 to 1 victory. Sometimes a collective boycott can be even more effective than street protests. On March 11, we recorded our widespread solidarity against the dark front in history; now the world is aware of the potential for freedom-seeking in our beloved Iran.' Tomaj Salehi, who was released on November 18 after serving over a year in prison, was arrested again 12 days later on December 9 and sentenced to one year in prison. Tomaj Salehi is in prison; 'Typhus,' the new song by the protest rapper, has been released. The American PEN Association protested the conviction of Shervin Hajipour; the Iranian government fears the inspiring power of music. The phone calls of Tomaj Salehi were cut off after he published his message about boycotting the elections. Another court session for Tomaj Salehi is scheduled for March 26. The one-year prison sentence for Tomaj Salehi has been confirmed. Tomaj Salehi's lawyer stated that the temporary detention order 'beyond one year' is illegal. Vafa Ahmadpour, an arrested rapper, said: 'I am not worried about myself; I sacrifice for Iran.'