Iran on Wednesday sentenced a popular rapper to death for participating in the nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody in 2022.
Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death by a revolutionary court in Isfahan after being found guilty of "corruption on earth," his lawyer Amir Raeesian told the Iranian Shargh newspaper.
The court did not uphold a supreme court ruling reducing a previous prison sentence to three years, avoiding a death sentence that has seen several protesters executed in the past year.
It had ordered his release on bail in November, but Mr Salehi was re-arrested by security forces less than two weeks later.
The death sentence will be appealed, his lawyer said.
There was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities.
Mr Salehi is one of the most prominent figures associated with the popular protests, which swept across Iran in September 2022 and rocked the decades-long authoritarian rule of the Tehran regime.
Speaking to The National in July, a German MP campaigning for his release said there was "nothing lawful" about his trial, in a country where legal proceedings against dissidents are often criticised as sham proceedings.
"Everything happened behind closed doors. This alone shows how weak the accusations of the Iranian regime against Toomaj are," said Ye-One Rhie, a German MP and supporter of Mr Salehi.
He was tortured in prison and only allowed brief meetings with his lawyers, she added.
Mr Salehi was a long-time critic of Tehran even before the protests over the death of Ms Amini, who was detained by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab loosely, violating Iran's strict public dress code for women.
The rapper made references to Ms Amini in songs released during the protests, saying in 'Mouse Hole': "Someone’s crime was that her hair was flowing in the wind, someone’s crime was that he or she was brave and were outspoken.”
The ruling comes as Iranians report an increase on morality police crackdowns across Iran.
Last week, morality police officers were filmed violently beating women in the streets of Tehran as activists warned Iran's tensions with Israel were being used to distract from growing oppression.
Human Rights Watch said the rapper's trial and the death sentence are a "cruel and outrageous assault on fundamental freedoms and the right to a fair trial".
“Iran’s revolutionary court judges act like they are empowered to assault citizens’ basic rights and make a mockery of any existing legal safeguards,” said Tara Sepheri Far, HRW's senior Iran researcher.
Salehi’s "outrageous verdict is just the latest manifestation of Iran’s brutal justice system. He should be released immediately," she added.
Iran is one of the world's biggest executioners, according to human rights groups and organisations advocating against the death penalty.
Human rights monitors have raised the alarm over a significant rise in executions, particularly since the start of the Gaza war in October.
Some 129 people, including four women, have been executed so far this year, according to figures from Iran Human Rights.
More than 172 people were put to death between October and December last year, according to data compiled by Iran Human Rights and Hengaw, which tracks human rights violations in Kurdish areas of Iran. It accused Tehran of using international attention on Gaza to increase domestic crackdowns.
Juvenile offenders and members of ethnic minorities make up the majority of those put to death.
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Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
liverpool youngsters
Ki-Jana Hoever
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.
Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
'Dark Waters'
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
Hot%20Seat
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Oppenheimer
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Racecard
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
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Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
Company%20Profile
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
