A German lawmaker, who serves as the political sponsor of jailed Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, says she will continue to work for his release because the charges against him cannot be proven. Salehi was jailed in connection with anti-government protests that erupted in 2022.
Ye-One Rhie spoke to VOA’s Persian service after an Iranian court this week sentenced Salehi to six years and three months in prison.
He had been convicted of “corruption on Earth,” a charge punishable by death.
Rhie said while Salehi is not facing a death sentence, “We should not be overly complacent” because an innocent man has been sent to prison.
Commenting on his trial, Rhie said, “The fact that they held the trials behind closed doors, and no one could look at the court documents, shows that they knew that the case they made did not have a proper foundation.”
Iranian authorities detained Salehi on October 30, 2022. His songs had denounced Iran's Islamist rulers and the perceived injustices perpetrated against the Iranian people.
Like thousands of other mostly young Iranians, Salehi embraced a widespread anti-government protest movement that began last September following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police. She was arrested allegedly for violating Iran's strict Islamic dress code.
In the days before Salehi’s arrest, he posted videos of himself on Instagram participating in peaceful street demonstrations and urging others to do the same.
