DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran has sentenced a well-liked rapper to 6 years and three months in jail over his participation in protests that rocked the nation final yr, his supporters mentioned Monday.
A social media account run by supporters of Toomaj Salehi introduced the sentence, as did Ye-One Rhie, a member of the German parliament who has campaigned on his behalf. There was no fast phrase from Iranian authorities.
Salehi was amongst 1000’s of largely younger Iranians who took to the streets final fall after the demise of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl who had been arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the nation’s strict Islamic costume code. The protests unfold throughout the nation and shortly escalated into requires the overthrow of Iran’s clerical rulers.
The 33-year-old rapper, who was arrested final October, had criticized Iran’s authorities in songs and music movies that had been extensively circulated on-line.
“Someone’s crime was dancing with her hair in the wind,” he raps in a video with over 450,000 views on YouTube – an obvious reference to Amini.
In one other verse, he predicts the downfall of Iran’s theocracy. “Your whole past is dark, the government that took the light out of the eyes… We go from the bottom of the pyramid and knock to the top… Forty-four years of your government, this is the year of failure.”
After his arrest, state media launched a video exhibiting him blindfolded and apologizing for his phrases, an announcement probably made below duress. Rights teams say Iran routinely tortures prisoners into making false confessions.
Following the protests, authorities launched a heavy crackdown, by which over 500 individuals had been killed and almost 20,000 arrested, in line with Human Rights Activists in Iran, a bunch that intently monitored the unrest. Authorities have mentioned a lot of these detained had been launched or given decreased sentences.
The protests largely died down earlier this yr, however there are nonetheless widespread indicators of discontent.
Iran has executed a complete of seven individuals in reference to the protests, accusing them of attacking safety forces. They had been convicted in secretive courts the place rights teams say they had been denied the best to defend themselves. Salehi’s supporters had feared that he too might face the demise penalty.
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