Tomaaj and Yasin: The Echo of Imprisonment; The Lives of Two Iranian Protest Rappers Remain at Risk

Tomaaj Salehi, an activist rapper involved in the nationwide protests of 2022, was arrested in November and deprived of the right to choose a lawyer for two months. He faces charges including 'corruption on earth,' 'propaganda against the regime,' 'collaboration with hostile governments,' 'inciting people to murder and riots,' and 'insulting the leadership.' It is reported that 'Saman Saidi, known as Yasin, and Tomaaj Salehi have been detained, tortured, and held in solitary confinement since October 1 and November 8, 2022.' The judiciary of the Islamic Republic has accused these two rappers of 'corruption on earth,' propaganda against the regime, collaboration with hostile governments, inciting people to murder and riots, insulting the leadership, conspiracy and collusion with the intent to act against national security, and waging war against God. Voice of America aired a special program titled 'Tomaaj and Yasin, The Echo of Imprisonment' to examine the latest status of these two artists imprisoned in the jails of the Islamic Republic. Shabnam Khosravi, Tomaaj Salehi's cousin, stated in a video connection with this program that 'we have filed a complaint against the Islamic Republic in the Hague with a prominent lawyer in France to defend Tomaaj's rights and hold the Islamic Republic accountable for its inhumane actions and human rights violations.' She added, 'Tomaaj is now a symbol of freedom of expression for Iranians, and the increase in executions inside Iran aims to instill fear and retreat among protesting people, but we will turn these actions into a blow against the Islamic Republic outside of Iran.' Iqbal Iqbal, Tomaaj Salehi's uncle living in Germany, told Voice of America, 'Tomaaj's presence in court via video conference confirms his severe torture.' He emphasized, 'Tomaaj's actions and behavior reflect the most humane actions and are in line with the people's demands, but the Islamic Republic has charged Tomaaj without any objective, legal, or lawful basis and has tortured him to the brink of death, and now has no response to the Iranian people and human rights organizations regarding this behavior.' Arash Sobhani, a composer, lyricist, and singer, also stated during his appearance at Voice of America, 'The Islamic Republic wants to scare artists so that they do not follow the paths of Saman, Yasin, and Tomaaj Salehi.' He clarified, 'The new generation of artists and even older artists stood alongside the people in this round of protests and were not afraid of the government's threats, voicing the people's hearts and conveying it to the ears of the world.' Ye Van Ri, a member of the German parliament and Tomaaj Salehi's political sponsor, also spoke about Tomaaj's latest situation to Voice of America, saying, 'The Islamic Republic's ambassador has responded to me, and I am the only political sponsor that the Islamic Republic has agreed to respond to, but I know that the Islamic Republic wants to maintain appearances and claim that Tomaaj's trial is fair and legal, but I will continue to follow Tomaaj's situation and emphasize his freedom.'