Jailed Iranian Singer’s Phone Access Cut for Urging Election Boycott

Islamic Republic officials have cut the telephone access of incarcerated singer Toomaj Salehi after he called for an elections boycott. 

"After Toomaj Salehi's message regarding the election boycott and ongoing harassment, and in continued violation of his rights, his phone calls were abruptly terminated under orders from the Ministry of Intelligence," Salehi’s social media accounts, managed by his relatives overseas, posted on March 1. 

"At present, we have no information about his current condition,” they added. 

Salehi, 33, was initially arrested in October 2022 after making public statements in support of nationwide protests that had erupted the previous month.

He had released songs that criticized the government and supported the protests demanding more freedoms and women's rights, and posted pictures and videos of himself during the demonstrations.

In July 2023, a court sentenced the artist to six years and three months in prison for “corruption on earth.” 

He was released on bail on November 18, 2023, after the Supreme Court, responding to an appeal, found “flaws in the original sentence.” It sent the case back to a lower court for a reexamination and possible retrial.

Salehi was returned to jail less than two weeks later to face new charges after publicly talking about his alleged torture in prison in a video.