“Iran International” followers in response to the death sentence against Tomaj Salehi: We will overthrow the Iranian regime

After the death sentence was imposed on Toumaj Salehi, a rapper opposed to the Iranian regime, a number of Iran International followers condemned the ruling, and stressed in their messages that the regime is trying to intimidate the demonstrators and prevent them from going out to the streets again, and that they are continuing their struggle until the regime is overthrown.

Amir Raisiyan Firozabad, Toumaj Salehi’s lawyer, announced on Wednesday, April 24, that this imprisoned singer had been sentenced to death.

In an interview with Shargh newspaper, two presidents described the decision of the First Branch of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court not to implement the Supreme Court ruling on the 2022 Toumaj Salehi case as “unprecedented.”

According to him, the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan, by describing this ruling as “indicative” and emphasizing the independence of the court of first instance, sentenced Tomaj Salehi to the most severe punishment, namely death, for “spreading corruption on earth.”

According to Toumaj Salehi’s lawyer, the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan charged Salehi with “aiding oppression, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the regime, and calling for chaos” and considered these cases examples of “corruption on earth.”

In addition to the death penalty, Salehi was also sentenced to punishments that include a two-year ban from artistic activities, a two-year ban on leaving the country, and participation in behavior management classes.

On Thursday, April 25, Tomaj Salhi’s lawyer stated that he would protest and appeal the ruling. He told the website “Ruidad 24”: “He was informed of the ruling issued against him, and like us, he expressed his hope that this ruling would be changed. He was not worried and was fine.”

After the death sentence was announced for Tomaj Salihi, his hashtag became the most popular on social media.

By noon on Thursday, April 25, users had chanted Tomaj’s name more than 500,000 times using the hashtag, demanding his unconditional release.

Iran International asked its followers about the regime’s purpose in issuing the death sentence against Toumaj.

Iran International’s followers stated in their answers that the regime’s attempt to spread terror in society and establish dictatorship in Iran were the most important goals of the Islamic Republic regime in issuing the death sentence on Tomaj.

In their messages, many citizens referred to the formation of mass protests inside and outside Iran as one of the ways to force the regime to cancel the death sentence issued against this imprisoned artist, and stressed that they must oppose this ruling, which represents a symbol of injustice in the Iranian judicial system, in any way possible.

Some observers also warned against the consequences of silence in the face of the ruling issued against Tomaj, and stressed that the Islamic Republic regime clearly declared its hostility to the people by doing this, and if the people remain silent about this, the way will be opened for further repression and execution of other demonstrators.

One citizen sent a video clip to Iran International and said: “We are protesting the death sentence issued against Toumaj and we will overthrow the regime.”

In a letter to Iran International, a citizen said that the names of people like Toumaj are considered “code names” for the Mahsa uprising, and that whenever the names of these people are mentioned, the Islamic Republic regime measures the sensitivity of citizens to prepare itself to face protest reactions on their part.

Another citizen said in his letter that the regime’s purpose in issuing the death sentence against Tomag was to intimidate citizens and try to silence the voices of protests, and stressed that the people will continue to oppose the Islamic Republic regime, and that the regime cannot suppress the demonstrators.

One of Iran International’s followers also confirmed that the Iranian regime intends to obscure the truth by issuing the death sentence against Tomaj Salehi.

In his letter, this citizen referred to Tomaj Salehi, as “the voice of the truth of the protesting Iranian society,” and said that they cannot strangle the truth with any rope, and issuing this ruling would be tantamount to “digging a grave” by agents of the Iranian regime.

In his letter, another citizen described Tomaj’s death sentence as “terrible and shameful news” and said: “If we the people do not rise up because of this sentence, and do not appreciate or support our hero, then we do not deserve freedom and a decent system.”
This citizen believes that the Iranian regime will not carry out the death sentence, but if it does so, he will “dig his own grave.”

In response to a question from Iran International, a citizen said: When we go back to history, we see that the dictators reached the peak of their crimes when they were breathing their last. They do all these things because they know that there is no place for them in society, and that this is their last breath. That’s why they want to silence people by creating an atmosphere of terror.

Indicating that the regime has realized that popular anger is approaching its peak, and that the voice of discontent has become louder than ever, one citizen said: “It is as if dynamite is exploding under the skin of the city. For this reason, the Iranian regime has been living for years with the ideology of “victory by terror.” If we consider the failed murder patrol (the moral police patrol) as a first stage to create terror among the nation’s people, and we notice that the citizens did not pay attention to it, then we now see that the regime is implementing the second stage of this issue by issuing the death sentence against Tomaj.”

In his message, another citizen referred to Toumaj Salehi as “the son of Iran” and said: “If blood flows from Toumaj’s nose, we will go out into the street and put the last shovel on the grave of the Islamic Republic regime.”

In a letter to Iran International, one of the citizens said: “We, a group of Arab people in Khuzestan, condemn the death sentence issued against Tomaj Salehi and demand his release.”

This citizen confirmed that Toumaj Salehi did not commit any crime and merely expressed his protest in poetry, songs and singing, and he must be released as soon as possible.

The video received by Iran International shows that on Thursday, April 25, a piece of cloth bearing Tomaj’s image and name was hung on a pedestrian bridge in Tehran, in protest against the death sentence issued against the opposition rapper.