Iranian rapper faces death penalty for endorsing protests against mandatory hijab.

Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi has been condemned to capital punishment by an Iranian judicial panel for endorsing demonstrations against mandatory hijab laws.

Salehi has been detained for over eighteen months due to his support for the protests sparked by the tragic demise of Mahsa Amini, who passed away shortly after being apprehended for wearing a hijab deemed “inappropriate” in 2022.

His legal representative, Amir Raisian, disclosed on Wednesday that the Isfahan Revolutionary Court’s Branch 1 had pronounced the death penalty for Salehi on the grounds of engaging in activities deemed subversive by the state.

Salehi’s arrest in October 2022 ensued following his public endorsement of the protests against compulsory hijab laws.

The Revolutionary Court leveled accusations against Salehi, citing his involvement in incitement, unlawful assembly, collaboration, dissemination of anti-government propaganda, and incitement to riot.

Following a review of the case by the Iranian Supreme Court, a directive was issued to the lower court to rectify the legal discrepancies in the verdict.