Iranian rapper held, ‘tortured to confess’ after talking out in opposition to govt

Activists have condemned the arrest of Toomaj Salehi, a rapper, as a video of him in custody purportedly made to present a compelled confession amid ongoing anti-hijab protests in Iran was launched by the state media.

New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 6, 2022 12:40 IST

Salehi is the most recent outstanding determine to be arrested in a mass crackdown that has seen dozens of journalists, attorneys, civil society and cultural figures arrested. (Photo: Twitter)

By India Today Web Desk: Toomaj Salehi, a preferred singer and activist, has been arrested by Iranian safety forces as a crackdown on anti-hijab voices continues in Iran. The rapper was taken to an undisclosed location by troops, Iranian media reported.

Iranian state media declare Salehi was arrested whereas making an attempt to cross one of many nation’s western borders, however his household have denied this, saying he was within the southwestern provinces of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari on the time.

Toomaj had used his standard media platforms to talk in opposition to Iranian authorities and assist the nationwide protests within the weeks after the dying of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini, Al-Monitor stated in a report.

READ | ‘I too was stopped by morality police’: Actor strips in assist of Iran’s anti-hijab protests

The rapper’s uncle Eghbal Eghbali on Instagram revealed that Toomaj is being subjected to the “cruelest methods of torture”. He known as on the Iranian folks and the worldwide group to save lots of the lifetime of Toomaj.

ALSO READ | Iranians knock turbans off clerics as a part of anti-hijab protests

Meanwhile, the Iranian authorities has stated that Toomaj faces fees of “propaganda in opposition to the state”. Former Iranian diplomat Mohammad Mousavian also accused him of playing a “key role” in encouraging anti-hijab protests in the city of Shahinshahr, an Iranian news agency reported.

RAPPER’S ‘BLOODY’ CONFESSION

Hours after Toomaj’s arrest, videos surfaced of the rapper appearing blindfolded and kneeling. He is heard saying in the video, in a shaking voice, that he made a mistake.

“I’m Toomaj Salehi. I stated I made a mistake. I stated… that it is best to run. I did not imply you,” AFP quoted him as saying in custody.

Activists have alleged that the confession was compelled. Atena Daemi on Twitter lashed out at “extracting a confession with traces of blood and pain” on her official Twitter account.

ALSO READ | Iranian safety forces goal college campuses as anti-hijab protests swell

Salehi is the most recent outstanding determine to be arrested in a mass crackdown that has seen dozens of journalists, attorneys, civil society and cultural figures arrested. His detention got here shortly after giving an interview extremely essential of the regime to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Earlier, there have been stories that movie star chef Mehrshad Shahidi, who was also called Iran’s Jamie Oliver, was allegedly overwhelmed to dying by the nation’s Revolutionary Guard forces the day earlier than his twentieth birthday.

ALSO READ | Singers, actors in Iran face motion for supporting anti-hijab protests

Like Shahidi, a whole bunch of individuals have been reportedly killed by Iranian safety forces throughout the protests which started following the dying of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died whereas within the custody of Iran’s morality police after being arrested for not sporting her hijab correctly.

However, Iranian authorities have sought to painting the protest motion as a plot hatched by its arch-enemy the United States.

ALSO READ | What the Iranian anti-hijab protest unveiled

Edited By:

Devika Bhattacharya

Published On:

Nov 6, 2022