Iran gives jail terms to two students for protesting rapper’s death sentence

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, DC, by the Anti-Defamation League is the largest case against foreign countries in connection with the attack, and the first backed by a Jewish organization, the ADL said in a press release.

Iran’s Islamic government, the main financial and military supporter of Hamas, has openly praised the attack, pledging to continue it backing of the militant group. It has also praised efforts by its proxy groups in the region to support Hamas and attack Israel.

The lawsuit accuses the three countries of providing financial, military and tactical support to Hamas. The US government has designed Iran, Syria and North Korea state sponsors of terrorism.

More than 1,200 people were killed in the attack and 250 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. The plaintiffs in the case include US citizens injured on Oct. 7, as well as relatives and the estates of victims killed in the attack.

"Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of antisemitism and terror – along with Syria and North Korea, they must be held responsible for their roles in the largest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust," ADL Chief Executive Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement.

Iran already faced several similar lawsuits in connection with the Oct. 7 attack.

The Iran, North Korea and Syria missions to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

It is common for countries accused of state-sponsored terrorism to ignore lawsuits in the US and not to honor judgments against them in US courts.

However, the United States Justice Department has a program called Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund(USVSST Fund), which provides compensation to individuals (or personal representatives of deceased individuals) who hold a final judgment issued by a United States District Court awarding the individual compensatory damages.

So far, the fund has made four distributions to victims from appropriations by the US Congress and collections from unlawful activities by individuals and affiliates of state sponsors of terrorism after successful prosecutions. The Justice Department is planning a $940 million distribution for 2025.

But the fund has run low, prompting several members of Congress to introduce legislation in May that would enhance funding and guarantee annual payments to victims.

If the defendants in this case are found liable, the plaintiffs hope to tap the USVSST, which Congress created in 2015 to compensate individuals who have won judgments against state sponsors of terrorism.

Monday's lawsuit seeks at least $1 billion of compensatory damages and $3 billion of punitive damages.

"While nothing will ever undo the unbearable pain Hamas caused our family or the brutal losses we've suffered, we hope this case will bring some sense of justice," plaintiff Nahar Neta, whose American-born mother Adrienne Neta was killed on Oct. 7, said in a statement.

The law firm of Crowell & Moring also represents the plaintiffs.

With reporting by Reuters

Iranian rappers have faced continuous suppression by authorities since the genre first emerged in the 2000s. The crackdowns intensified following Iran's 2009 Green Movement protests and have reached new heights in the aftermath of the 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests, ignited by the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in morality police custody.

On Sunday, reports emerged of the arrest of Iranian rapper and blogger Vahid Nemati on election day, Friday.

Nemati had published a satirical music video on Instagram about one of the Guardian Council's 6 handpicked Iranian Presidential candidates, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s daughter. The viral video was released amidst ongoing public backlash against Ghalibaf, following fresh revelations about the "layette-gate" scandal involving his daughter.

Following reports of Nemati's arrest on June 28, coinciding with Iran’s snap presidential election, all the posts on his Instagram page, including the video, were taken down. A notice was posted stating, "This page has been blocked by the order of the respected judicial authority." Such notices are common following the arrests of influencers in Iran. A similar notice was posted on Iranian rapper Dorcci's Instagram page when he was arrested in August 2023 following the release of a viral song.

However, shortly after news of his arrest surfaced, a video of Nemati was released in which he claimed he was at home and had not been detained, explaining that his Instagram account was merely being "assessed." Forcing individuals to record videos of themselves is a common tactic used by Iranian authorities to suppress news, particularly as the government seeks to control the narrative during the widely boycotted election season.

Additionally, on Sunday, the Human Rights Activist Network in Iran (HRANA) reported that Iranian pop singer, Mohammad Fathi, was summoned to the Evin courthouse for publishing a song on his Instagram page in support of Iran’s Woman Life Freedom uprising. He was charged with “propaganda against the state” and later released on bail.

On May 9, two Iranian rappers, Vafa Ahmadpour and Danial Maghaddam were arrested after the release of a music video titled “Standy” criticizing the government on their Instagram pages.

In April, Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was given a death sentence for publishing music in support of the Woman Life Freedom uprising.

His death sentence was eventually overturned in the Supreme Court and he awaits retrial. Salehi alongside rappers Saman Yasin and Behrad Ali Konari were all arrested during the Woman Life Freedom uprising.

Yasin who was also facing a death sentence verdict, recently received a reduced sentence of 5 years imprisonment. According to an audio message from Yasin from prison published by Kurdistan Human Rights group, Yasin was subject to severe torture while in prison.

Konari who was facing a “corruption on Earth” charge which carries the death sentence was eventually released on bail.

In light of these events, Iran International spoke to Iranian rappers in Iran to get their perspective on the increased crackdowns. Their identities cannot be disclosed for their safety.

“They don’t have a problem with rap. They have a problem with anti-government content that becomes viral - be it a song, video, film, photograph and it just so happens that dissident rap is well received among Iranians reflecting the anti-Islamic Republic sentiment among Iranians,” a rapper based in Tehran said.

In Iran, all artists must obtain a permit from the Ministry of Guidance and Culture to be able to release and perform music.

“The truth is we have never even applied for the permit because we are against art being subject to such levels of censorship and the whole system. We release our music on Instagram and SoundCloud and self-publish through distribution companies,” another Tehran-based rapper said when asked about how music is released in the absence of permits in light of the genre being banned and viewed as Western decadence by the authorities.

“They sentenced Toomaj Salehi to death because they want to use him as an example to warn us against releasing music in support of the people, but their fear tactics only drive us to release more music. The truth is when you decide to release socio-political rap in this country, you have to accept that any minute they will come to raid your house and you are prepared for everything including prison. I do not fear them,” the rapper continued.

“The IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps] intelligence ministry agents arrested me and two of my friends a few years ago. Our music wasn’t even viral. Even so, they held us under detention for a day. They beat us and told us that if we released political music, they would put us in a sack next time and throw our corpses in a place where no one could find them,” another rapper based in Tehran added after being asked about threats he had faced regarding his music.

A rapper who has worked with pro-regime artists, said “It is the law. Just like it is the law to wear hijab, you can't sing songs against the government. If you rap against the government, of course, you get arrested. If you look at North Korea and China it's the same. It’s the law. If people don’t like it they can go to another country.”

However, it isn’t as simple as the rapper puts it. Iranian rappers aren’t safe even in Western countries and face threats and pressure from the authorities.

In 2022, London-based Iranian rapper Hichkas received death threats including a direct death threat on X at the peak of the nationwide uprising as he published content in support of the Iranian people.

He was further subject to a large-scale smear campaign widely circulated in state media including IRGC-affiliated news agencies Tasnim and Fars aimed at discrediting him to reduce his influence among Iranian youth.

Similarly in the past, Iranian rapper Shahin Najafi living in Germany was threatened with a death sentence Fatwa with a $100,000 bounty to anyone who would kill him. Despite the threats, Najafi and Hichkas continue to use their platforms in support of the Iranian people. As such transnational repression of dissident artists is rife even outside Iran.

A female rapper based in Tehran says the challenges are multidimensional for female rappers.

“I don’t think the Iranian society has an issue with female rappers. It is the Islamic Republic that has waged a war on women…being a woman and rapper considering that women are banned from singing solo, in general, increases the risks of arrest in Iran and this is why many studios refuse to have you as a client for recording songs… several female rappers use home studios for recording songs,” she said.

When asked about the influence of pro-regime rappers on Iranian youth, almost all the rappers interviewed stated that they don’t have much influence because their content doesn’t resonate with the struggles of the Iranian people.

“Nobody listens to their music...that's why many of these rappers have opened up burger joints and restaurants…they have been canceled in the hip hop scene because they were silent during the Mahsa Amini protests…” said one rapper.

“The Islamic Republic no longer views rap as Satanistic…they are trying to capitalize on it but their efforts have failed… the Iranian youth who listens to rap is the same youth who bravely went to the frontlines of the protests in 2022 and were shot at by government security forces…and we sing for them despite facing arrests. How could we not when they gave their lives for this land?” the rapper added.

The incident occurred in ward three, a section housing inmates charged with theft and drug-related offenses, Karoon human rights organization reported Monday.

Reports suggest that the deaths may have been caused by incorrect medication, leading to potential poisoning, although the claims have not yet been confirmed.

The report has sparked outrage and demands for a transparent and independent investigation into the mysterious deaths from prisoners' families and human rights advocates.

This incident further tarnishes Iran's already contentious human rights record, particularly regarding drug offenses. A recent report by Amnesty International revealed a disturbing rise in executions for such crimes, with over half of Iran's 853 executions in 2023 linked to drugs.

The increase in executions has not only caused domestic upheaval but has also drawn international criticism. In his November 2023 address to the United Nations General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the rise in executions in Iran as “alarming.”

Three Kolbars were killed and seven were injured as reported by the Hengaw Human Rights Organization on Sunday, with two of the deaths caused by direct fire from border patrol forces.

The majority of the incidents, 8 out of the 10 cases, were reported along the borders of Iran’s Kordestan Province.

Kolbars often carry smuggled goods on their backs across Iran’s borders, journeying long distances through mountainous regions into Iraq as an attempt to escape the dire conditions they live in. They carry household appliances and similar merchandise restricted by Iran's stringent import processes.

According to Kolbar News, from March 2023 to March 2024, 444 Kolbars were killed or injured along the border areas and interprovincial routes between West Azarbaijan, Kordestan, and Kermanshah provinces. Such incidents were caused by various factors, including direct shootings by military forces, avalanches, frostbite, stepping on mines, and falls from mountains and heights.

Direct shootings by military forces accounted for 373 of the 444 casualties. Often, Kolbars are involved in smuggling goods such as illegal fuel in some of Iran's poorest provinces, and many of them are under the age of 18.

The Iranian government's treatment of the laborers underscores the realities faced by those struggling to survive in one of the country's most marginalized communities.

The individuals—Nasim Gholami Simiyari, Hamidreza Sahlabadi, Amin Sokhanvar, Ali Harati Mokhtari, Hossein Mohammad Hosseini, Amir Shah-Velayati, Ehsan Ravazjian, and Hossein Ardestani—were tried by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Among them, Gholami Simiyari and Sahlabadi faced charges of "armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic," which can lead to harsh sentences including the death penalty.

During the court session, Gholami Simiyari denied all charges, stating that her confessions were coerced through pressure and torture by security officers, and prolonged solitary confinement.

Sources close to the families of the protesters revealed that the six other defendants face various charges, including "membership in a rebel group, assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security, propaganda against the Islamic Republic, disturbing public order, security, and public peace."

At the end of the court session, the judge informed the defendants and their lawyers that the trial had concluded, and a verdict would be issued soon.

Four individuals—Harati Mokhtari, Mohammad Hosseini, Shah-Velayati, and Ardestani—have been released on bail. However, Gholami Simiyari, Sahlabadi, Sokhanvar, and Ravazjian remain detained in Evin Prison for over a year after their arrest.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly coerced detainees into testifying against themselves by recording and broadcasting forced confessions. Three other individuals—Shahin Zahmatkesh, Siamak Taddayon, and Siamak Golshani—also face charges but remain at large.

At least eight people were hanged over trumped-up charges related to the nationwide protests of 2022, with several more protesters currently on death row.