Widespread Protests Against the 'Death Sentence' of Tomaj Salehi; Gohar Eshghi: Khamenei's Regime Has Hit Rock Bottom

On Wednesday, May 5, following the announcement of the 'death sentence' for Tomaj Salehi, a wave of public protests erupted both inside and outside the country, with social media users trending the hashtag 'Tomaj Salehi' globally. Gohar Eshghi commented, 'Khamenei's murderous regime has hit rock bottom.' Reports from various cities in Iran indicate that on Wednesday evening, people expressed their anger and disgust towards this unjust ruling by chanting slogans, writing Tomaj's name on walls, and playing his songs. The reactions to this ruling on social media were widespread, with hashtags related to Tomaj Salehi repeatedly shared by users, bringing his name to the forefront of social media discussions. Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, condemned the ruling against Tomaj Salehi, calling it 'another example of the horrific and widespread human rights violations by the regime in Iran.' Patel referred to Salehi as someone who 'has previously faced torture and other forms of violent treatment and detention,' stating that the U.S. condemns the Iranian regime's use of the death penalty as a tool to suppress human rights and fundamental freedoms. In response to a question from Gita Aryan, a journalist for VOA Persian, regarding potential U.S. actions to prevent the execution, Patel mentioned that there are various tools to pressure the Islamic Republic to address 'serious and egregious human rights violations.' Abram Paley, U.S. Deputy Representative for Iran, wrote on his 'X' account: 'We strongly condemn the death sentence for Tomaj Salehi and the five-year imprisonment of Saman Yasin, the Kurdish Iranian rapper, and demand their immediate release. These are the latest examples of the regime's brutal abuse of its citizens, its disregard for human rights, and its fear of the democratic change that the people of Iran seek.' Prince Reza Pahlavi, in a post referring to the death sentence for Tomaj Salehi, called on the global community, especially artists worldwide, to be the voice of Tomaj and to work for the immediate cancellation of this 'shameful' sentence and his unrestricted release from prison. Kayhan Kalhor, a prominent Iranian musician, reacted to the death sentence for Tomaj Salehi on his Instagram account, stating: 'Tomaj Salehi must be freed; our silence means support for oppression and the oppressor.' Mehdi Yarahee, a protesting singer who himself spent time in prison for opposing the Islamic Republic, wrote: 'The news of Tomaj Salehi's death sentence seems absurd to the point of being a dark comedy. Free my brother unconditionally, or the smoke from this fire will burn your eyes.' Families seeking justice, including the Adinehzadeh and Javadi families, expressed solidarity with Tomaj Salehi, and Gohar Eshghi, the mother of the justice-seeking Sattar Beheshti, wrote: 'As I have said before, Khamenei's murderous regime has hit rock bottom. My children! Do not remain silent against this disgraceful ruling! They want to scare you and turn the country into a graveyard.' Hamed Ismailioun, a member of the families seeking justice for Flight PS752, regarded Tomaj as 'a symbol of the heroic struggle of the Iranian people,' stating: 'Execution, killing, and violence are the last tools of the Islamic Republic. A regime that has come to kill hope. A regime that wants to instill incapacity in the people, unaware that it has already lost in facing the people's anger. A regime that is very afraid of the people's anger. Tomaj is not alone, and the Islamic government will also surrender before him.' Masih Alinejad, a journalist and political activist, wrote: 'The death sentence for Tomaj Salehi was issued because he is a true embodiment of the multiplication of courage; he has been sentenced to death because he was in the streets and on the streets. Our retreat means the advance of the fascist regime of the Islamic Republic; it is up to us to use all our power to be the voice of Tomaj, who was the voice of the voiceless.' Outside Iran, Iranians in cities like Frankfurt, Germany, and Paris, France, held protests demanding the cancellation of the death sentence and the release of Tomaj Salehi. John Deily, a famous German rapper, reacted to the 'baseless' sentence against Tomaj Salehi, writing: 'We all must be the voice of Tomaj, all.' Ye Wan Ri, Tomaj Salehi's political guardian, described the death sentence as 'absurd and inhumane,' stating that such a ruling 'has no basis in the rule of law' and is 'unacceptable.' Helmut Brandstetter, an Austrian parliament member and another guardian of Tomaj Salehi, also reacted to the issuance of his death sentence, urging people not to remain silent. He encouraged activism on social media to support Tomaj and all political prisoners. He added that the Austrian Foreign Minister should convey the message to the Iranian ambassador in Austria that we will not tolerate human rights violations of this nature in Iran. Amir Reisiian, one of Tomaj Salehi's lawyers, announced on Wednesday that 'the first branch of the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan, in an unprecedented move, did not implement the Supreme Court's ruling regarding Tomaj Salehi's 2022 case and, deeming this ruling 'advisory' and emphasizing the independence of the primary court, sentenced Tomaj Salehi to the maximum penalty of death for the charge of corruption on earth.' Tomaj Salehi, a protest rapper, is currently in custody at the Dastgerd prison in Isfahan. The hearing for the charges against Tomaj Salehi, related to his 2022 case, was held on Thursday, April 30, at the first branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Isfahan, with the addition of two charges of 'conspiracy and collusion, and complicity in rebellion.' Tomaj Salehi has rejected the charges and deemed this court 'illegal,' stating that his trial was conducted 'not according to the law, but at the request of intelligence agencies.'