Anti-Regime Rapper Detained by Iranian Security Forces

Outspoken rapper Toomaj Salehi has been arrested in Iran and is being held in solitary confinement, his relatives confirmed this week.

The dissident artist was apprehended at his home in Isfahan on Monday and taken to an unknown location. According to HRANA news agency, no fewer than 12 security agents ransacked his home and confiscated his personal belongings.

Just days earlier, Salehi had announced on his personal Twitter page – which has since been removed by the platform – that he feared he would be arrested soon.

The young rapper made waves in cyberspace earlier this year with videos he posted online, with fiery lyrics against the Islamic Republic and individuals he accused of sympathising with the regime.

Critics called his lyrics “misguided,” “violent,” and “misogynist” while his supporters called him “the voice of a nation.” Another of his well-known songs was “Unite”, which attacked the Taliban and called on Afghans to stand up against tyranny.

Salehi’s tracks also touched on socio-political issues like poverty and discrimination in Iran, and on recent events like the water crisis, the November 2019 protests and this summer’s mass protests in Khuzestan.

The official pretext for Salehi’s arrest has not yet been made public. But given the stark content of his lyrics, fans and activists fear he could be subjected to severe punishment by Iran’s judiciary.

News of the detention spread like wildfire on Thursday night. The Iranian-born actress and human rights advocate Nazanin Boniadi called on famous rappers worldwide to take a public stand for Salehi.

“The origin of rap is intertwined with protest movements and raising social consciousness,” she wrote. “Calling on global rap artists to support brave Iranian rapper #FreeToomaj jailed for standing for the rights of his people.”

His uncle Iqbal Eqhbali, who broke the news of his arrest on Instagram, entreated others for support: "Toomaj's fate is in the hands of those who thought and sang about love. Toomaj's family and friends will not allow him to be imprisoned for thinking and fighting.”