Toomaj Salehi Arrested in Kish Amid Escalating Repression Under Pretext of Israeli Airstrikes
19-June-2025
Category: Arrests
19 June 2025
News category: Arrests
Breathing in Confinement – Dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi was arrested by security forces on Kish Island and transferred to an undisclosed location.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, this arrest occurred amid an increasingly repressive atmosphere and a new wave of crackdowns, which has intensified following the Israeli airstrikes.
A statement published on Toomaj Salehi’s official Instagram page reads:
“We have no information about the detaining authority, his place of detention, or Toomaj’s well-being. The government bears full responsibility for his safety and life. Toomaj must be released immediately.”
Toomaj Salehi, an artist and rap singer, was previously arrested during the nationwide protests in 2022. He had been released from Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan on 1 December 2024, after serving a one-year sentence. Salehi has long been under pressure and threats due to his music, which openly criticises repression, corruption, and injustice.