Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi has been released from prison after serving a one-year sentence for criticizing the government, Iran’s judiciary-affiliated Mizan news agency reported Monday.
Salehi faced execution following an April death sentence from a revolutionary court for his role in nationwide protests, but Iran’s Supreme Court overturned the ruling in June. The rapper had been detained since October 2022 after publicly supporting demonstrations that swept the country.
The protests erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman who died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s Islamic dress code regarding proper hijab wear. Salehi’s music became closely associated with the movement, featuring lyrics that praised the demonstrations.
The unrest sparked by Amini’s death represented the most significant challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership in decades. A United Nations fact-finding mission concluded in March that Amini’s death resulted from “physical violence in the custody of state authorities” and was unlawful. The mission also noted that Iranian women continue to face systematic discrimination.
