Toumaj, rapper sentenced to death in Iran: the collective calls on Macron to “act at all costs”

They appeal to Emmanuel Macron. The collective calls on the French head of state to “act by all means to overturn the death sentence of rapper Toumaj Salehi imposed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“Mr. President of the Republic, on April 24, the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced the death sentence of Toomaj Salehi, a protest rapper and activist of the Women, Life, Freedom movement. Real death is surrender to despair– Toomai Salehi tells us in his texts. We also ask France to respond and make its voice heard,” launches a collective of artists, writers and human rights activists. Among them are actress Golshifteh Farahani, philosopher Elisabeth Badinter, actors François Cluzet and Agnès Jaoui, and designer Marjane Satrapi in a column published Tuesday evening in Le Monde.

“This rap singer took the risk of demonstrating, but above all, he became a catalyst for the ideals of the Iranian population, yearning for freedom and democracy,” emphasize the signatories of this forum. They add that “rap, which Tumaj enthusiastically manipulates, has proven to be a formidable political tool, exposing the regime’s totalitarianism and its corruption, encouraging people to unite and rise up for freedom.”

At 33, the rapper is known for his commitment to fighting Iran’s repressive regime. On April 24, 2024, he was sentenced to death for “corruption on Earth,” one of the most serious charges in this country.

In 2022, he took part in the protests that rocked Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young 22-year-old student arrested by morality police. A month later, Toomai Salehi released the title Battlefield, in whose music video he broadcast footage of demonstrations. During the protests, more than 500 Iranians were killed and about 20,000 people were arrested, including Toomaj Salehi.

No telephone connection

Initially sentenced to six years in prison, he was eventually released on bail and testified in a YouTube video about the torture he suffered before being rearrested and sentenced to death by a revolutionary court in Isfahan (center).

On Tuesday, Iranian authorities cut off telephone service to a rapper whose death sentence sparked violent protests around the world. “Toumaj’s phone permit was revoked at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan,” says X’s official account, which bears his name and is now controlled by an administrator. “This means he no longer has any contact with his family and the outside world,” he added. “Furthermore, in order to put maximum psychological pressure on him, all Dastgerd prisoners are forbidden to talk to him and face severe punishment if they do so.”

German MP Ye-One Rhee, who has been actively following her case, posted a comment on X: “Let’s be clear: this is torture.” The rapper’s death sentence was condemned by France, Italy and experts from the UN working group. Support rallies took place over the weekend in several cities around the world, including Toronto, Paris and Sydney.

According to NGOs, the Tehran regime has already executed nine people in connection with the uprising. Six more people face immediate execution, according to the non-governmental organization Human Rights Iran.