Hearing for Tomaj Salehi's Case to Be Held on April 19 at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Isfahan

Amir Reysyan, the lawyer for Tomaj Salehi, the Iranian protest rapper currently in prison, announced the date for the hearing of his case. Mr. Reysyan told 'Shahrak-e Sharq' that the hearing for the charges against Tomaj Salehi from 2022 will take place on April 19 at the first branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Isfahan. Regarding the latest status of his client's case, he stated: 'The case related to Tomaj Salehi from 2022 went to the Supreme Court. This judicial authority overturned the ruling of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court and considered other charges against Mr. Salehi to be subject to amnesty, emphasizing that the penalties imposed on Tomaj Salehi exceed legal penalties.' According to Amir Reysyan, the Supreme Court also emphasized that two of Tomaj Salehi's charges should be dismissed and referred the case back to the Islamic Revolutionary Court, but this court returned the case to the Isfahan Prosecutor's Office to increase the charges. This lawyer added that ultimately, the prosecutor's office, in addition to reiterating all previous charges against Tomaj Salehi in the 2022 case, even included charges for which he had been acquitted, adding two new charges of 'aiding in rebellion' and 'conspiracy and collusion against national security' to this protest rapper's case. Amir Reysyan expressed hope that Tomaj Salehi would be able to attend court and, along with his lawyers, be allowed to defend against the charges against him. After supporting the recent nationwide protests, a total of three legal cases have been filed against Tomaj Salehi. One of these cases is from 2022, and the other two were formed after the temporary release of this young rapper. Shortly after his temporary release on bail, on December 9 of last year, he was re-arrested and transferred to Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan on charges of 'spreading falsehoods and disturbing public opinion.' Recently, he was sentenced to one year in prison for publishing one of his videos against judicial agents on social media. Another court is currently underway regarding charges of 'spreading falsehoods through computer systems' and 'inciting violent acts through computer systems' against this protest rapper. Mr. Salehi, who is currently in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, commemorated '552 days of glorious resistance of the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution' in a New Year message. In Tomaj Salehi's message, published on his 'X' account by an admin on March 20, he stated: 'I feel the warmth of the hands that planted saplings in my memory and the hands that kept my memory alive on the walls of the city on my chest; the voices of those who congratulated me on Yalda night and my birthday or shouted for my freedom still polish my soul every day.' He also emphasized: 'I am not alone here, because you did not leave me alone; I celebrate the New Year with a smile of pride and honor, remembering happier days than today and hoping for brighter futures than all our years, and I continue to resist alongside you.' At the end of this message, Tomaj Salehi said: 'Happy Nowruz to you, long live 552 days of glorious resistance of the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution.' Nasir Mashkouri, a writer and music critic, told Voice of America about Tomaj Salehi: 'Before being a hip-hop artist, he is a civil activist and a revolutionary, and he was active even before the Woman, Life, Freedom movement took a revolutionary shape.' Mr. Mashkouri added: 'Tomaj expressed ideas in his works one or two years before the nationwide protests that we did not yet see openly in society, meaning that he expressed protest critiques in a revolutionary form, boldly and without any censorship in his works. Tomaj's audacity was such that even some hip-hop artists laughed at him, saying he was government-affiliated or wanted to become prominent.' This music critic stated: 'Tomaj Salehi has shown that he is well aware of his role in this path, knows what he is doing, and has aligned himself with the people.' According to Nasir Mashkouri, 'This young rapper initially showed through his works what was happening beneath the surface of society, and when protests and discontent erupted, he joined the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and became, in a way, the voice of this movement.' Mr. Mashkouri emphasizes that Tomaj Salehi's revolutionary actions have made him significant, not the artistic part of his works within the framework of rap music, and for this reason, many people have listened to his songs and he has become very prominent. This music critic stated: 'Considering that Tomaj did not back down at all, participated in demonstrations, and courageously spoke out against the regime within the country, calling for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, he was considered a significant threat to the regime, and that is why he was arrested.'