The Song 'Typhus' as a New Case of 'File Fabrication' Against Tomaj Salehi; Four Charges Including 'Insulting Sacred Values'

The page attributed to Tomaj Salehi on the social media platform 'X' reported the continuation of his 'illegal detention' due to new charges related to the song 'Typhus' and called for his detention order to be converted to bail. Based on new information published on July 19, a new case has been opened against Tomaj Salehi, which includes four charges: 'insulting sacred values', 'inciting violence and murder', 'propaganda against the regime', and 'spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion'. According to this page, the charges raised had previously been mentioned in three other cases and 'lack legal and judicial backing.' The current 'fabricated charges' relate to a song named 'Typhus' by Tomaj Salehi, which 'was prepared, recorded, and released in previous years and was re-arranged and re-published by Tomaj's friends last winter due to recent events in Persian rap.' The page attributed to Tomaj Salehi stated: 'The judicial system of a country, after two failures in attributing baseless charges to an artist, is now looking for instances within his rap lyrics to attribute charges to him, in order to keep him in prison for a few more months under this pretext.' It also criticized the 'repeated worn-out trick' of the judicial agents of Isfahan and the issuance of a new detention order based on new charges. While the detention order for Tomaj Salehi in the first case was converted to bail after the annulment of the issued sentences, his detention continues due to the new case. Previously, Yi Wan Ri, Tomaj Salehi's political guardian, stated that the new charges against this protesting singer are a sign of the 'Iranian regime's fear' of Tomaj and the people of Iran and announced the continuation of the struggle for Tomaj's freedom. Amnesty International advised the Iranian authorities in July of this year to release this imprisoned rapper 'immediately and unconditionally' instead of prolonging the legal process against him. Tomaj Salehi was arrested on October 30, 2022, during the nationwide protests of 'Women, Life, Freedom' and was sent to prison. He was released on bail a year later but was re-arrested just a few days later on December 3, 2023. The first branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Isfahan tried this protesting singer on April 19 of this year on charges of 'conspiracy and collusion, and complicity in rebellion' and sentenced him to death. This sentence was later overturned by the Supreme Court. Abram Peely, the Deputy Special Representative of the U.S. State Department for Iran, described this action as a 'pretense of flexibility' by the Islamic Republic aimed at 'misleading the world' and a judicial trick by the 'Iranian regime' to 'silence dissenters.' The 'very concerning' conditions of seven imprisoned protesters in Sheiban prison in Ahvaz after a hunger strike were reported, and Vafa Ahmadpour, a imprisoned protesting rapper, defended himself against political charges. Continued pressures on the families of the bereaved; Maryam Mehrabi's hunger strike in prison and the setting of a billion-toman bail for Rana Korkor. 'Cutting off phone calls to Tomaj Salehi' in Dastgerd prison and warnings about 'new file fabrication.'