Global creatives sign Letter to UN to urgently Appeal Toomaj’s death sentence

Organised by:Iranians in the diaspora

22nd May 2024

Artists4Toomaj is a collective of global creatives who are calling for the unconditional release of Toomaj Salehi, the rapper who is currently on death row in the Islamic Republic of Iran.  The open letter, signed by notable artists and creatives such as Christine Baranski, Annie Murphy, Omid Djalili, Kate Beckinsale, Dev Patel, Rix Ahmed, Ken Loach, Golshifteh Farahani, and Nazanin Boniadi, states that:  

“As artists, we call for the repeal of Toomaj Salehi's death sentence and his immediate and unconditional release. We believe that no artist should be imprisoned or executed for expressing dissent.”

The letter is due to be sent to the United Nations Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Mr. Javaid Rehman and Mr. Omar Zniber, president of the UNHRC. 

Toomaj Salehi is a 33 year old musician who  is currently incarcerated in the Islamic Republic of Iran and on death row. He has over 2.4 million followers on Instagram. 

Toomaj is one of the most celebrated musicians in Iran, known for his sharp criticisms of the Iranian government. He has been sentenced with treason and “corruption on earth” because of his music. The lyrics of Toomaj’s rap songs have directly criticised the Islamic Republic of Iran’s human rights abuses, and have led to multiple arrests and charges against him between 2021-2024.  He was first arrested in September 2021 and charged with “spreading propaganda against the state.” This is a common charge brought against activists, intellectuals, artists and other dissenters who criticise the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

The second time Toomaj was arrested was arrested in response to the nationwide protests in Iran over the death of Jina Mahsa Amini while under the “morality” police custody. On 24 October 2022, Toomaj released a music video on Instagram that included the lyrics: 

“Her crime was that her hair was flowing in the wind. Their crime was that they were brave and outspoken.” 

Toomaj also gave a fearless interview on CBC  (Canadian Broadcast Corporation) that went viral:  

“Every time I go to protests, I’m afraid of being arrested because of how it’ll affect a portion of young protestors who may lose hope. But right now we don’t need sadness and grief… if my family is killed I shouldn’t get sad, I should get angry and seek justice. Not violence, but justice”   

Days after the release of this music video and the CBC interview, on Saturday, 30 October 2022, Toomaj was arrested. In prison, he was subjected to brutal torture including 252 days in solidary confinement. He was released in November 2023, and published a video detailing the torture and ill-treatment he endured while in prison. In retaliation for revealing the details of his abuse in prison, a few weeks later, he was rearrested for a third time.  On April 23, 2023, he was issued the death sentence by a court in Isfahan, Iran.  

Toomaj is not the only political dissident on death row in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Heavy sentences, fines, incarceration and execution have become the destiny of many students, journalists, writers, artists, and other dissidents who have dared to speak out about the Iranian government’s human rights abuses.

According to Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic of Iran is on a killing spree. Already, Iran has executed over 100 people in 2024.  In 2023, the Islamic Republic of Iran executed more than 853 people. The highest number recorded since 2015, a 48% increase from 2022. It is common for the government to execute people by lynching them from a crane. 

Hashtag for raising awareness on social media are:

#FreeToomaj #stopexecutionsiniran

 

MORE INFORMATION, IMAGES, LINKS: 

For a more thorough account and timeline see Atlantic Council Report on Toomaj. 

IMAGES OF TOOMAJ

LINKS TO TOOMAJ SONGS, IG, CBC Interview 

GLOBAL RESPONSE (protests, change.org petition, more)

  • A bill called the “Toomaj Act” has been submitted to the US Congress. The act sanctions members of the Islamic Revolutionary Courts in Iran and declares that judgements issued by the Islamic courts against political prisoners do not warrant judicial deference. 

  • Toomaj has political sponsors in Austria, Germany, Italy, and New Zealand who have taken action. They made a joint video response to the news. 

 

CONTEXT ON IRAN & WOMAN LIFE FREEDOM MOVEMENT 

  • In September 2022, mass protests ensued in Iran following the murder of a young Iranian-Kurdish woman, Jina Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested and beaten by the Islamic Republic’s morality police for allegedly not adhering to the country’s dress code. 

  • The uprising following Amini’s death is known as the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, which built its foundation in the Kurdish Liberation movement.  

  • Civil disobedience continues by the Iranian people to this day, who although cannot gather in the streets due to violent crackdowns, have not stopped protesting the regime in other ways (Refusing to wear hijab, chanting from rooftops, boycotting, political street art etc.) 

  • Due to the deteriorating situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Human Rights Council on 24 November 2022 decided to establish an independent international fact-finding mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran for a period of one year.

  • On 4 April 2024, the Council voted to extend the Fact-Finding Mission’s mandate for an additional year through resolution 55/19.

  • The UN Human Rights Council’ Special Rapporteur on Iran reported ​​“possible commission of international crimes, notably the crimes against humanity of murder, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual violence, and persecution” during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.

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