Iranian diaspora continues protest rallies in major world cities against the death sentence passed on dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi. Rallies are expected to be held over the weekend in many cities across the world.
Toomaj Salehi, now 33, was violently arrested during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests of 2022-23 for his artistic activities in support of the anti-government movement.
Salehi's lawyer announced the verdict of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan on Wednesday. Since then, the sentencing has widely been criticized both in Iran and internationally.
Toomaj (stage name) was sentenced to six years and three months in prison in July 2023 after an earlier death sentence was overturned. The death sentence was reinstated after the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan brought new charges against him.
Thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Toronto, Canada, joining rallies in dozens of cities worldwide to demand the release of rapper and activist Tomaj Salehi, who faces the death penalty in Iran.
Waving placards bearing Salehi's image and chanting slogans calling for his freedom, the estimated 5,000 participants in Toronto's gathering made it one of the largest Iranian diaspora protests in recent months.
In a show of unity, over 300 Iranian musicians have signed a statement calling for the immediate annulment of Tomaj Salehi's death sentence and the unconditional release of him and other people arrested during the 2022 Iranian protests.
The musicians describe the situation as "a state of shock and disbelief," emphasizing the unprecedented sentence given to Salehi for peacefully expressing his views. They characterize him as a "voice of the voiceless" and a symbol of the aspirations of a generation yearning for a "normal life" in their homeland.
Iranians in several European cities held protest rallies in support for Toomaj, chanting slogan against the Islamic Public government and singing along Toomaj’s hit songs.
In many cities, such as Brussels, people gathered in front of Tehran’s consular buildings and in some cities the main town squares were the venue of demonstrations.
Iranians’ protest rally in Brussels
Iranians’ demonstration in the Danish city of Aarhus
Demonstrations in the Austian capital Vienna
Renowned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has called for a collective response against the "medieval" death sentence issued for Tomaj Salehi. In an Instagram post, Panahi shared a video of Salehi and expressed concerns over the artist's harrowing ordeal.
"Me and Mohammad Rasoulof couldn't even bear to hear the details of Tomaj's torture," Panahi wrote, highlighting the fact that Salehi was severely tortured during his detention.
Panahi denounced the death sentence as a barbaric relic of the past, emphasizing the collective responsibility to stand against such injustice. "It is our duty not to break the heart of this son of Iran with our inaction," he said.
Prominent dissident Zahra Rahnavard, who has been under house arrest for thirteen years, since February 2011, has joined the global outcry of Toomaj’ssentence.
Rahnavard isoneof the leaders of the last bout of nationwide protests against the regime before the 2022 protests, the so-called Green Movement ignited after the disputed 2009 presidential election.The Islamic Republic government cracked down on the popular protests, arrested many people and put its leaders on house arrest.
Rahnavard expressed her deep concern over Salehi's fate, emphasizing the profound anxiety it has instilled among the Iranian people.
"The fear of the possibility of the execution of an artist has cast an endless pain upon the soul of our eternal land, Iran,"Rahnavard poignantly stated.
Eight political prisoners held in Karaj's Ghezel-Hesar prison have released a letter denouncing the death sentence issued to the jailed rapper, calling it "just the tip of the iceberg" of Iran's flagrant human rights violations.
The chorus of condemnation is growing against Salehi's impending execution, a move seen as a blatant attempt to silence dissent by targeting the iconic celebrities who supported the Women, Life, Freedom protests in 2022.
Videos sent to Iran International show pensioners in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, gathering to protest their dire economic situation. The demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Tomaj Salehi must be freed" in solidarity with the imprisoned dissident artist.
Iran's pensioner populationhave been severely impacted by the country's economic woes. Inflation has soared to record levels, eroding the purchasing power of pensions and leaving many struggling to make ends meet.
Iranian expatriates in Adelaide, Australia, and Wellington, New Zealand, held demonstrations on Sunday, May 9th in front of the South Australian Parliament House and the Iranian embassy, respectively.
Demonstrators demanded a halt to the issuance and execution of all death sentences, including Salehi's. They also condemned the Iranian regime's crackdown on women's rights.
Iranians protest outside Tehran's embassy in Wellington
Speakers at the events addressed the dire state of human rights in Iran, particularly the plight of political prisoners, and the regime's suppression of women. Participants carried placards with slogans supporting Tomaj Salehi and Iranian women, protesting the suppression of freedom of expression and human rights in Iran.
Protesters in Adelaide