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Iranwire – Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, a prominent voice in Iran’s 2022 uprising, now faces a total of 10 charges, his lawyer says.
In a January 21 a post on the social media platform X, lawyer Amir Raisian said that the Supreme Court had rejected five of the eight charges previously filed against Salehi.
However, a court in Isfahan maintained all eight charges and added two additional ones, including “assisting in [armed] rebellion” and “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against security,” Raisian wrote.
The lawyer pointed to the absurdity of the charge of “assisting in rebellion,” saying that there is no other accused in the case.
Salehi, 33, was initially arrested in October 2022 after making public statements in support of nationwide protests that had erupted the previous month.
He had released songs that criticized the government and supported the protests demanding more freedoms and women’s rights, and posted pictures and videos of himself during demonstrations.
In July 2023, a court sentenced the artist to six years and three months in prison for “corruption on Earth.”
He was released on bail on November 18 after the Supreme Court, responding to an appeal, found “flaws in the original sentence.” It sent the case back to a lower court for a reexamination and possible retrial.
Salehi was returned to jail less than two weeks later, on November 30.
