Statement
Iranian Dissident Rapper Toomaj Salehi Released from Prison
Iran
The welcomed release comes amid years-long repression of the Iranian artistic community by authorities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(NEW YORK - December 2, 2024) – Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) welcomes the release of dissident rapper
Toomaj Salehi on December 1, 2024, after completing his year-long sentence of imprisonment. Salehi was arrested on the charges of spreading "propaganda against the Islamic Republic." Earlier this April, Salehi had been sentenced to death by a revolutionary court in Isfahan on charges of “spreading corruption on Earth” – the decision was later overturned in June 2024.
“ARC celebrates the release of Toomaj Salehi. We hope he receives the urgent medical care he needs after enduring the brutalities of prison. Artists and musicians like Salehi have endured grave injustices for their creative expressions in Iran – we recognize their sacrifice and stand in solidarity with those who remain imprisoned by Iranian authorities. ARC calls for the immediate release of all artists and cultural workers unjustly imprisoned for exercising their right to free expression.” said Julie Trébault, Executive Director of ARC.
Salehi was initially arrested in October 2022 after publicly supporting the mass protest movement, “Woman, Life, Freedom,” that emerged in response to the killing of Mahsa Amini by Iranian security forces following her arrest for allegedly improperly wearing her hijab. Salehi had released songs and social media posts in support of the protests that were also critical of the government. Salehi was sentenced to six years in prison but was released on bail on November 18, 2023, after having spent 252 days in solitary confinement. He was arrested again two weeks later.
In 2024 alone, ARC documented at least four instances of Iranian authorities targeting artists and creative practitioners. Since 2022, ARC has received almost 70 requests for assistance from Iranian artists, underscoring a rise in the persecution of creatives in the country over the past two years. Among those who have been targeted are cartoonist
Atena Farghadani, rapper Vafa Ahmadpour (known as Vafadar), Saman Yasin, a Kurdish rapper, and Grammy award-winning Shervin Hajipour. In the past two years, all those named have received prison sentences and travel bans.
ARC remains unwavering in its support for artists and creative practitioners unjustly imprisoned and tortured by Iranian authorities and urges the government to immediately release all artists and prisoners of conscience who are targeted solely for exercising their fundamental right to free expression.
About Artists at Risk Connection
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) is dedicated to assisting imperiled artists and fortifying the field of organizations that support them. If you or someone you know is an artist at risk, contact ARC.
For more information, contact:
Julie Trébault
Executive Director
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC)
jtrebault@artistsatriskconnection.org
@atriskartists