Iran reportedly sentences popular rapper to death for backing protests

An Iranian tribunal has sentenced a celebrated rapper to death, section media reported Wednesday. The rapper has been jailed for much than a twelvemonth and a half for supporting protests sparked by nan 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. 

"Branch 1 of Isfahan Revolutionary Court... sentenced Toomaj Salehi to decease connected nan complaint of corruption connected Earth," nan artist's lawyer Amir Raisian said, according to nan reformist Shargh newspaper.

Salehi, 33, was arrested successful October 2022 aft publically backing nan wave of demonstrations which erupted a period earlier, triggered by nan decease successful custody of 22-year-old Amini, an Iranian Kurd who had been detained complete an alleged breach of nan Islamic republic's strict dress rules for women. Months of unrest pursuing Amini's decease successful September 2022 saw hundreds of group killed including dozens of information personnel, and thousands much arrested. Iranian officials labelled nan protests "riots" and accused Tehran's overseas foes of fomenting the unrest.

The Revolutionary Court had accused Salehi of "assistance successful sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against nan strategy and calling for riots," Raisian said. 

The nation's Supreme Court had reviewed nan lawsuit and issued a ruling to nan little tribunal to "remove nan flaws successful nan sentence," Raisian said. However, nan tribunal had "in an unprecedented move, emphasised its independency and did not instrumentality nan Supreme Court's ruling," according to Raisian. 

Raisian said that he and Salehi "will surely entreaty against nan sentence." 

"The truth is that nan verdict of nan tribunal has clear ineligible conflicts," nan lawyer was quoted arsenic saying. "The contradiction pinch nan ruling of nan Supreme Court is considered nan astir important and astatine nan aforesaid clip nan strangest portion of this ruling."

Nine men person been executed successful protest-related cases involving sidesplitting and different unit against information forces.

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