Iran top court overturns rapper Toomaj Salehi’s death sentence, lawyer says

Reuters-June22nd2024

DUBAI, June 22 (Reuters) – Iran’s supreme court has overturned Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi’s death sentence on charges linked to the country’s 2022-23 period of unrest, his lawyer wrote in a post on the X social media platform on Saturday.

“The death sentence of #Toomaj_Salehi was overturned and based on the appeal decision …of the Supreme Court, the case will be referred to (another) branch for consideration,” attorney Amir Raisian wrote on X.

There was no immediate official confirmation of the ruling.

Salehi’s songs supported protests sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish Iranian woman arrested for allegedly wearing an “improper” hijab.

Reporting by Dubai newsroom; editing by Jason Neely