Dissident Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi's detention was illegal, UN body says

The UN rights body has ruled the detention of a top Iranian rapper and activist arbitrary and contrary to international law in a response to a petition submitted by rights groups and international lawyers on his behalf.

Iranian authorities subjected Toomaj Salehi, who was imprisoned for more than 753 days, to judicial harassment for his music and activism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention wrote in an opinion issued on Thursday.

The group concluded that his prosecution stemmed from his political opinions and artistic expression, particularly his support for the nationwide Woman Life Freedom protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Jina Amini in September 2022.

Salehi was sentenced to death for his songs in support of the protests after being charged with “corruption on earth” but the verdict was later overturned, and he was released on December 1, 2024.

“This is not just about Toomaj but it is about a nation’s struggle against fear. This opinion by the UNWGAD is an important step towards that goal,” said Salehi’s cousin, Arezou Eghbali Babadi in a press release on Friday.

Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, international counsel for Salehi’s family, emphasized the significance of the ruling, saying that it underscored the need to protect him from further arbitrary detention.

Claudia Bennett of the Human Rights Foundation said the case illustrated Iran’s intolerance of criticism and warned that the international community would hold it accountable for human rights abuses.