Iranian rapper facing possible death sentence also accused of colluding with Canada

A popular Iranian rapper facing a possible death sentence in Iran has also been accused by Iranian authorities of colluding with a hostile foreign government — Canada — because of an interview he gave to CBC News last year.

Toomaj Salehi is known for using his lyrics to openly criticize Iran's regime. He has amassed hundreds of thousands of fans online, including many Iranian-Canadians.

Salehi's lawyer, Amir Raesian, told an Iranian media outlet earlier this week after his client's court appearance that Salehi faces multiple charges under Iranian law, including inviting chaos and disorder, spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic system, disturbing order, insulting the founder of the revolution and spreading lies.

The most serious charge he faces is that of spreading lies causing "corruption on earth," which could lead to the death penalty, Raesian said.

He said he was given 30 minutes to meet with Salehi at the Isfahan Intelligence Detention Centre but didn't have enough time to explain all the charges to his client. Raesian said he presented defences to each of the allegations.

Salehi also faces a charge of colluding with a hostile foreign government. That charge is linked to a rare interview he gave CBC News in October 2022.

Raesian told the Iranian media outlet Ham-Mihan that interview is being cited as evidence of his client's cooperation with the Canadian government.

"Since the Canadian government is considered a hostile government in the eyes of the Isfahan Prosecutor's Office, as a result of this interview, it is an example of cooperation with the hostile governments," he recently told Ham-Mihan in Persian.

While CBC receives public funds, the federal government has no involvement in its editorial content or journalism. That independence is guaranteed under the Broadcasting Act.

Salehi's cousin Ava Salehi addressed a rally in the Toronto area this week.

"I came here to beg you, let's not lose our Toomajs," she told the crowd in Persian, referring to Iranians who, like her cousin, continue to push back against the regime.

Before Salehi was imprisoned, he spoke to CBC News in Persian about his role in an underground movement fighting online censorship in Iran amid growing protests. The protest movement emerged after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in Iranian police custody following her arrest for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

Salehi has been in prison for roughly eight months and has been held for most of that time at Isfahan prison, according to a German member of parliament acting as one of his political sponsors.

The German politician, Ye-One Rhie, said she received confirmation of Salehi's detention from the office of Iran's ambassador in Berlin. She said she watched a video of Salehi in which he appeared to be "badly beaten," with indications of broken bones.