The Uncertainty of Tomaj Salehi in Prison Exceeds 700 Days

An account attributed to Tomaj Salehi on the social media platform "X" reported on Friday, October 19, that the imprisoned protest singer has been in "uncertainty" for over 700 days: "Tomaj Salehi has been taken hostage." The post stated: "There is no news about the follow-up on Tomaj's complaints against those who tortured him and spread false news about him." It also emphasized that "Tomaj has only a one-year prison sentence but has been in prison for nearly two years without committing any crime." According to this report, Tomaj Salehi was arrested by government forces in early November 2022 in connection with the nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police. He was released on bail a year later but was re-arrested a few days later and sent to prison in Isfahan. Ultimately, on April 18 of this year, Tomaj Salehi was tried in the first branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Isfahan on charges of "conspiracy and collusion, and complicity in rebellion," and his death sentence was communicated to his lawyers on May 25. At that time, the news of the death sentence for Tomaj Salehi, the imprisoned protest rapper in Iran, received widespread coverage in international media, and various reports were published on this matter. Reactions to this sentence also escalated within Iran. Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, reported on a joint statement from the human rights ambassadors of 11 European countries condemning the issuance of the death sentence for Tomaj Salehi. Following the referral of the case to the Supreme Court, the death sentence for Tomaj Salehi was annulled in July of this year, which was welcomed by political and human rights activists. Subsequently, Amnesty International called for the immediate release of Tomaj Salehi. However, as the review process prolonged, Tomaj Salehi's official page on the social media platform X announced on September 2 that despite the annulment of the sentences issued against him in the 2022 case and his acquittal from the charges, he is still being held illegally in prison. Meanwhile, Amir Raeisian, another lawyer for Mr. Salehi, stated that the formation of a new case regarding one of Tomaj Salehi's songs and the charges of "insulting the sacred" and "calling for chaos and riots" against this critical artist has led to the continuation of his imprisonment. The Václav Havel Foundation awarded Tomaj Salehi; his lawyer stated that the regime wants to intimidate artists. The political guarantor of Tomaj Salehi supported the request for the release of this imprisoned protest rapper in Iran. Human rights organizations, coinciding with the presence of a representative at the United Nations, called for the release of Tomaj Salehi.