Rapper Toomaj Salehi, a controversial rapper from Iran, was arrested Thursday (June 19) by Iranian security forces, marking the latest move in the dictatorship’s widening crackdown on dissident voices in Hip-Hop and beyond.
His location and condition remain unknown, according to his Representatives.
The 33-year-old rapper, known for his outspoken lyrics and political defiance, had been released from prison in December after serving a one-year sentence.
That case had been closed, and all remaining charges were dropped by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
Toomaj Salehi had previously faced a death sentence for “corruption on Earth” before being acquitted on appeal.
Salehi’s re-arrest comes amid renewed pressure on artists after protests that erupted behind the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
He was first detained in October 2022 in Gerd Bisheh village during the height of those demonstrations.
His music, often critical of Iran’s leadership, made him a target for authorities. He has been repeatedly detained for his activism, both lyrical and civil.
Meanwhile, another high-profile artist is facing worse fate.
Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo — better known as Tataloo — has been sentenced to death by an Iranian court for allegedly “insulting the Prophet Mohammed,” a charge of blasphemy.
The ruling came after prosecutors appealed an earlier five-year sentence.
Tataloo, who once aligned himself with Iran’s hardline politicians and supported the country’s nuclear ambitions, had been living in exile in Istanbul since 2018.
Turkish authorities detained him in December 2023 for visa violations and extradited him to Iran.
Once celebrated for his genre-blending music, Tataloo now faces execution. He has also been convicted of promoting prostitution, spreading propaganda, and publishing obscene material.
In total, he received over a decade in prison before the death sentence was added.
The arrests and sentencing come as a conflict between Israel and Iran escalated sharply on June 13 with direct military strikes and hundreds injured, raising fears of a broader regional war.
Israel has vowed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities and Tehran has retaliated with missile attacks on civilian infrastructure.
President Donald Trump brought the United States into the conflict, after ordering the bombing of three nuclear facilities in Iran on Saturday (June 21).
The United States launched “Operation Hammer” in coordination with Israel, citing Iran’s nuclear ambitions as a threat to both nations