Human rights officials from the UN have condemned the death sentence handed out by an Iranian court to a dissident rapper. The rapper’s advocacy for demonstrations ignited by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini landed him in prison for about 1.5 years.

Toomaj Salehi was found guilty of corruption on Earth and sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, according to the reformist Shargh daily, which cited the artist’s lawyer Amir Raisian. According to Reuters, Iranian state media claimed on Thursday that the death sentence had been affirmed by the judiciary, who also noted that he was eligible to a sentencing reduction.

Following his public support for the wave of protests that broke out a month prior to the death in detention of 22-year-old Amini, an Iranian Kurd who had been detained over an alleged violation of the Islamic republic’s stringent clothing regulations for women, Salehi, 33, was arrested in October 2022. Hundreds of people, including dozens of security personnel, were slain and thousands more were detained during the months of upheaval that followed Amini’s death in September 2022. The protests were described by Iranian officials as “riots” and they accused Tehran’s foreign enemies of instigating the disturbance.

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Salehi was charged by the Revolutionary Court with “assistance in sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the system and calling for riots,” according to Raisian.

In a statement released on Thursday, human rights officials from the United Nations demanded the immediate release of Salehi and urged the Iranian authorities to overturn the conviction.

The right to participate in cultural life and the freedom of expression safeguard criticism of governmental policy, especially through artistic expression. The statement emphasized that it should not be become a crime. “…We are alarmed by the imposition of the death sentence and the alleged ill-treatment of Mr. Salehi which appears to be related solely to the exercise of his right to freedom of artistic expression and creativity.”

“Remove the flaws in the sentence,” the Supreme Court of the country ruled after reviewing the case, according to Raisian. The lower court was then instructed to implement the verdict. On the other hand, the court had “in an unprecedented move, emphasised its independence and did not implement the Supreme Court’s ruling,” as Raisian explained.

Speaking on behalf of himself and Salehi, Raisian stated, “will certainly appeal against the sentence.”

The attorney reportedly stated, “The fact is that the verdict of the court has clear legal conflicts.”. “The contradiction with the ruling of the Supreme Court is considered the most important and at the same time the strangest part of this ruling.”

Cases involving killings and other forms of violence against security officers have led to the execution of nine men. These incidents occurred during protests.

A report by Roxana Saberi was included.

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