German MP Urges Release Of Iranian Rapper

Ye-One Rhie, a German MP and a political supporter of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, has issued a call for his immediate release.

In an exclusive interview with Iran International, Rhie expressed profound concern for Salehi's well-being, highlighting the lack of information about his current whereabouts.

Salehi, 33, was re-apprehended by plainclothes individuals on a street in Babol, northern Iran in late November. His arrest reportedly involved severe physical abuse, including beatings with the butts of rifles and pistols, as documented on his social media page.

Rhie expressed fears the star was badly beaten. "It's been going on for a couple of weeks now, and we don't know anything about him being transferred to a regular section, even before this new arrest when he was released on bail briefly."

Before the latest arrest, Salehi had spent over a year in prison, including 252 days in solitary confinement, before being released on bail on November 18th. His recent re-arrest sparked a social media campaign with over 75,000 mentions of Toomaj Salehi across various platforms.

Rhie, expressing frustration with the lack of information, urged diplomatic intervention. "What I'm demanding once again is that I get access to him, that we get to talk to him, to have a video chat at least so we can make sure that he is OK," she said. Rhie emphasized the need for proof of Salehi's well-being and called for access to a lawyer.

Responding to the question of Salehi's brief release on bail, Rhie said, "Nobody knows why the Iranian regime is doing what they are doing. Maybe they thought that they scared him off so much that he would go out and be quiet."

Salehi gained prominence for his protest songs addressing social issues and government injustices in Iran. In October 2022, Salehi's initial arrest was a component of a wider campaign targeting political adversaries of the regime.