Iran Protests: ‘His Life Is At Serious Risk’, Says Dissident Rapper's Family Fearing Death Sentence
Toomaj Salehi, the well-known Iranian rapper, was detained last month after criticising the government and expressing support for the demonstrations, according to human rights organisations.
New Delhi: The family of an Iranian rapper claimed that his "life is at serious risk right now" after he went on trial behind closed doors on Saturday for supporting protests over Mahsa Amini's death.
His family tweeted that his life is at serious risk as he faced charges of "enmity against God" and "corruption on earth" -- both sharia-related charges that are capital crimes in the Islamic republic, the news agency AFP reported.
Toomaj Salehi, the well-known Iranian rapper, was detained last month after criticising the government and expressing support for the demonstrations, according to human rights organisations.
The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran tweeted- "Dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi had the first day of his so-called 'trial' today in Tehran without a lawyer of his choice."
Dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi had the first day of his so-called "trial" today in Tehran without a lawyer of his choice.
— IranHumanRights.org (@ICHRI) November 26, 2022
He has been charged with "Mohareb" (waging war against God), which could be punishable by death. #MahsaAmini #Iran #مهسا_امینی
#توماج_صالحی pic.twitter.com/EBi61zqDUR
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Iran has intensified a violent crackdown on the protests sparked by the death of Amini after her arrest in Tehran for allegedly breaching the country's strict dress code for women.
Salehi had disappeared at the end of October before appearing in a video published on November 2 by Iran's state-run media.
The video claimed to show the first images of Salehi after his arrest. It depicted a tattooed man in a sleeveless black T-shirt sitting on the ground, wearing a blindfold and looking bloodied and bruised.
The man says, "I am Toomaj Salehi. I said I made a mistake. I said... that you should run. I didn't mean you."
He was arrested shortly after giving an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Cooperation. He said, "You are dealing with a mafia that is ready to kill the entire nation... in order to keep its power, money and weapons," in the interview.
Apart from Salehi, a number of other prominent figures have been arrested in the mass crackdown including journalists, lawyers, civil society and cultural figures.
Iranian state media claim Salehi was arrested while trying to cross one of the country's western borders, but his family has denied this saying he was in the southwestern province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari at the time.
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