The trial of Iranian hip-hop artist Toomaj Salehi, who was arrested during nationwide anti-government protests in November, has been conducted behind closed doors, his legal representatives have disclosed.
Representatives from the parliaments of Germany, Austria, New Zealand, and Italy, who have become Salehi's political sponsors, announced on June 22 that the court proceedings concerning the singer's charges were held without media coverage or official notification, 230 days after his arrest.
"We are very concerned. There is no transparency at all. We don't know anything: Not how the court date went. Not when the next court date will be. Not when the verdict will be announced," Ye-One Rhie, a member of Germany's parliament, said on Twitter.
"We demand direct access to Toomaj himself. We demand access to all court files," she added.
Salehi, 33, has gained notoriety for his lyrics that rail against corruption, widespread poverty, state executions, and the killing of protesters in Iran. His songs also point to a widening gap between ordinary Iranians and the country’s leadership, accusing authorities of “suffocating” the people without regard for their well-being.
Salehi was arrested on November 30 amid protests that erupted following the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, who was in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation. In the days leading up to his arrest, Salehi was living clandestinely, releasing numerous messages in support of the protests.
The rapper was denied legal representation for an extended period. Amir Raeisian, his lawyer, reported last December that he had only been granted access to one of the four volumes of his client's case file.
On May 30, Raeisian revealed in an interview with the Tehran-based Sharq newspaper that Salehi is facing five charges, including "corruption on earth,""propaganda against the system," "collaboration with a hostile government," "inciting people to murder and riot," and "insulting the leadership."
He added that since the case was returned to the prosecutor's office, Salehi's lawyers have once again been denied access to their client's case file.
Under the Islamic republic's criminal laws, charges such as "corruption on earth" and "waging war against God" could potentially result in the death penalty for the singer.
According to reports, during the recent nationwide protests that started nine months ago and which continue in various forms, thousands of protesters have been arrested in different cities of Iran.
Human rights sources say they have yet to obtain accurate statistics on the number of detainees in these protests. However, the head of Iran's judiciary announced on May 17 that about 90,000 protesters were pardoned by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The activist HRANA news agency says that more than 500 people have been killed during the unrest, including 71 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread dissent.