Less than two weeks after being released on bail, a prominent rapper in Iran, Toomaj Salehi, has been sent back to jail, according to an Iranian news website, Mizanonline.ir. The report indicates that Salehi faces a new charge of “spreading lies and violation of public opinion.”
Salehi had been released from custody in mid-November after spending over a year behind bars. Initially arrested on charges related to his music and participation in protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, Salehi’s supporters argued that the accusations were linked to his involvement in the hip-hop scene.
The protests erupted in Iran after Amini died while in the custody of the country’s morality police, detained for wearing her hijab too loosely. Salehi, in a video message earlier this week, claimed that he had been subjected to torture following his arrest in October 2022. State media had previously released a video showing Salehi blindfolded and apologizing for his words, likely made under duress.
In July, a court sentenced Salehi to over six years in prison. However, his appeal, as mentioned by a defense lawyer earlier this month, led to his release on bail after the Supreme Court remanded the case to a lower court.
The crackdown on protests in Tehran resulted in nearly 20,000 arrests, which subsided earlier this year. Unfortunately, eight individuals faced execution, accused of attacking security forces, in secretive courts where rights groups argue they were denied the right to a proper defense.
