PARIS: Iranian authorities have arrested Toomaj Salehi, a prominent rapper who is sharply critical of the Islamic republic’s leadership, the artist’s supporters said on his social media accounts on Thursday.
The reported arrest of Salehi, who is known to fans as Toomaj and had previously been sentenced to death in the wake of nationwide protests, comes amid the nearly week-old war triggered by Israeli attacks on Iran and as rights groups have warned of a crackdown on dissent by Tehran.
Salehi, 34, has bitterly criticized Israel’s strikes on his country as well as the failure of Iranian authorities to protect citizens in the face of the bombardment which began on Friday.
According to a statement published by supporters of Salehi on his official Instagram and X accounts, he had been arrested in the Gulf island of Kish, on Iran’s southern coast.
“We have no information about the detaining agency, his place of detention, or his health. The government is directly responsible for anything that happens to his health and life,” it said.
