by Reform & Revolution wholeheartedly supports the international campaign demanding the Iranian government drops its death sentence against Toomaj Salehi and immediately releases him from prison.
[Please sign the statement here.]
We call on all democratic socialists to join this campaign in defense of elementary democratic rights and freedoms.
We stand in solidarity with the women, workers, and left activists fighting for democratic and social rights in Iran. Our solidarity has nothing to do with the US government’s hypocritical claims of supporting “democracy” in Iran. US imperialism is a central opponent of democratic rights of working people throughout the world. We see this vividly displayed in the Middle East by their support for the far-right Israeli regime, the Egyptian military dictatorship, the Jordanian monarchy, and the Saudi monarchy. We call for the ending of the US sanctions against the Iranian people, closing down all US military bases in the region, and bringing the tens of thousands of US military forces in the region back home.
We ask all readers to sign the urgent appeal below and share it broadly with friends, activists and in your organizations. Our members are also reaching out to other caucuses in DSA, DSA chapters, and the DSA International Committee to also ask that they add their support to this campaign.
Steering Committee
Reform and Revolution
The following article originally appeared in International Standpoint, April 27, 2024.
Iran: Urgent Appeal to Stop the Execution of Rapper and Metal Worker Toomaj Salehi
Toomaj Salehi is a 33-year-old rapper and metalworker.
For several years Toomaj has denounced the systematic and brutal oppression of the Iranian regime. His songs openly condemn the absence of political and civil rights, corruption, gender apartheid, and other social inequalities.
When Tehran’s ‘morality police’ caused the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini on September 16th 2022, Toomaj Salehi supported the just demands of the masses against the fundamentalist Islamic tyranny. Toomaj, a brave dissident rapper, clearly sided with Iran’s workers, women and the oppressed in his songs. Faced with the most significant and sustained protest movements in its history, the Iranian regime arrested Toomaj Salehi on October 30th.
After his initial brutal beating, Toomaj was tortured, including having his leg broken, fingers and ribs crushed, and months in solitary confinement. The regime’s thugs also injured his eye. Even though he was in danger of losing the sight in that eye, the blood-soaked regime denied Toomaj the urgent medical care he needed, forcing him to confess to so-called crimes he had not committed. Based on the coerced confession, he was accused of “Corruption on Earth” and “War against God” – and therefore faced the death penalty.
In 2022, the Supreme court handed him a six years and three months prison sentence for his “crimes”.
But on April 24th 2024, Branch No1 of Esfahan’s Revolutionary Court took the unprecedented action of not implementing the 2022 ruling of the Supreme Court regarding Tomaj Salehi’ case. By calling this ruling merely a “guidance” and emphasising the independence of the lower court, Toomaj was sentenced to death on the charge of “Corruption on Earth”.
Toomaj Salehi has 20 days to appeal. If the Supreme Court upholds his death sentence, the judiciary’s amnesty commission may review his case and perhaps commute his sentence.
The Shahrokh Zamani Action Campaign strongly condemns the arrest, torture, continuing detention and death sentence of Toomaj Salehi, and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. We urge all trade unionists, socialists and other political activists to help us in defending the rights of all workers, political prisoners and social rights’ activists in Iran.
Free Toomaj Salehi now!
Free all political prisoners in Iran!
Shahrokh Zamani Action Campaign
27 April 2024
More information:
- [International Standpoint] Iran: Campaign to stop the execution of rapper and metal worker Toomaj Salehi – Internationalist Standpoint
- [International Standpoint] Trade unionists, MPs, councilors from 13 countries demand the release of Toomaj Salehi – Internationalist Standpoint
- [Amnesty International] Urgent Action: Execution Risk for Tortured Dissident Rapper (Iran 44.24)
