A rapper in Iran who rose to prominence for his rhymes about Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022 and criticism of the Islamic Republic has been sentenced to death, his lawyer and rights campaigners said Thursday.

The death sentence handed down to 33-year-old metal shop worker Toomaj Salehi remains unclear, as even Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency and judiciary have yet to formally announce it.

However, the announcement attracted immediate worldwide criticism from US and UN experts, who saw it as a symptom of Tehran’s ongoing assault on all dissent following years of large rallies in the country.

“Art must be allowed to criticize, provoke, and push the boundaries in any society,” a panel of United Nations independent experts on Iran said in a statement Thursday.

The news broke on Wednesday, following a report by Iran’s reformist The Shargh newspaper reported that Salehi had been sentenced to death by a Revolutionary Court in Isfahan, a key Iranian city recently attacked by an apparent Israeli attack. Closed-door sessions, secret evidence, and scant rights for people on trial are common in Iran’s revolutionary courts.

Rapper to Appeal Sentence

Amir Raisian, Salehi’s lawyer, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he had received notice of the death sentence against his client. Raisian said he intended to seek an appeal.

Salehi’s case arises from Amini’s death in 2022, following her arrest by police for not wearing a hijab to their liking. According to United Nations investigators, Iran was responsible for Amini’s death and forcefully suppressed mostly peaceful rallies during a months-long security crackdown that killed more than 500 people and jailed over 22,000 others.

Salehi rapped about Amini in one YouTube video, saying, “Someone’s crime was dancing with her hair in the wind.”

In another lyric, he prophesies the end of Iran’s theocracy. “Your entire past is dark, the government that sucked the light out of your eyes. We begin at the base of the pyramid and work our way up. This is the year of failure after forty-four years in power.”

His other songs were obscene, criticizing the all-volunteer Basij component of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and mentioning Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Salehi was first sentenced to six years in prison, but he was released after Iran’s Supreme Court returned the case to the lower court due to irregularities in his original sentence.

Released on Bond

Salehi was released on bond, but was arrested again in November after claiming in a video message that he had been tortured following his detention in October 2022. At the time, state media aired a video of him blindfolded and apologizing for his statements, which were most likely uttered under duress.

Iran’s judiciary refused to acknowledge the death sentence, despite IRNA referring to “reports” that he had received it.

A death sentence based on the reversal of a lesser sentence is exceedingly unprecedented in Iran, presumably indicating how seriously Iran’s theocracy took Salehi’s statements. It also comes after other journalists, activists, and singers have been targeted after the “Women, Life, and Freedom” protests against Amini.

An Iranian artist, who received a Grammy presented by US first lady Jill Biden, was condemned to more than three years in prison for his hymn supporting the 2022 protests Activists quickly denounced the rappers sentence.

“This grotesque manipulation of the judicial process aims to silence dissent,” Hadi Ghaemi of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran stated. “Toomaj’s detention arises from his public opposition to state tyranny. It is critical that supporters of free speech and dissent come together to demand his immediate release.”

Washington criticized the sentencing as well.

“This is just another example of the Iranian regime’s horrific and pervasive human rights abuses,” said State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel on Wednesday. “We once again condemn the Iranian regime’s … use of the death sentence as a tool to suppress people’s human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

The Franklin police department in Tennessee has provided an update on the death of Christian singer and former “American Idol” contestant Mandisa, who died last week.

Mandisa, whose full name is Mandisa Hundley, was discovered dead in her Nashville home on April 18, according to a statement on the artist’s official Facebook page. She was 47.

According to a post on X, the program formerly known as Twitter, the Franklin police department stated that there is currently no evidence that Mandisa’s death was the result of suspicious or criminal conduct.

“The Franklin Police Department sends its condolences to Hundley’s family, friends, and fans,” the department said on X.

Mandisa rose to notoriety

K-Love, a Christian music station, was the first to announce the artist’s death. Mandisa rose to notoriety after standing firm in the face of criticism from “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell during season five, according to K-Love.

After finishing in the Top 10 on “American Idol,” she released her debut album, “True Beauty,” in 2007.

She began her singing career with the Fisk Jubilee Singers, an African American vocal group, while attending Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, according to K-Love. After her stint on “American Idol,” she collaborated with various musicians, including TobyMac, Matthew West, Michael W. Smith, and Kirk Franklin.

According to her website, She had published five full-length albums throughout the course of her two-decade career, including one Christmas album. Her hit album “Overcomer” won her a Grammy in 2014 for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.

K-Love said that she has great relationships with her fellow singers, including TobyMac.

“Since the first day I met Mandisa, she has been nothing but original and courageous,” Toby told K-Love in a statement. “My touring family benefits from her presence. She sincerely encourages each performer on stage and every crew member behind the scenes. In a single word, I would describe her as one of the most authentic persons I have ever met. Her passion desires to help others.”

New York – The highest court in New York overturned Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction in 2020. This decision reversed a significant ruling from the #MeToo era, as it found that the trial judge had made an error by allowing women to testify regarding charges against Weinstein that were not relevant to the case.

Weinstein, aged 72, will continue to be incarcerated as he was found guilty of a further rape in Los Angeles in 2022. However, the recent verdict in New York brings back a distressing period in America’s confrontation with sexual misbehavior committed by influential individuals. This era commenced in 2017 when numerous accusations against Weinstein emerged.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office indicated its determination to pursue a new trial for Weinstein, perhaps requiring his accusers to once again recount their experiences under oath.

In a 4-3 judgment, the California Court of Appeals reversed Weinstein’s 23-year sentence, stating that the trial court made a mistake by allowing testimony about uncharged, alleged previous sexual actions involving individuals other than the victims of the offenses in question. The majority of the court deemed this as a “misuse of judicial discretion.”

Judge Madeline Singas expressed strong disapproval in her dissent, stating that the Court of Appeals was persisting in a troubling pattern of reversing juries’ guilty verdicts in cases related to sexual violence.

Weinstein has been incarcerated in a New York correctional facility following his conviction for engaging in non-consensual oral sex with a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and for committing third-degree rape against an aspiring actress in 2013. In the Los Angeles case, he received a 16-year prison sentence.

Arthur Aidala, the lawyer representing Weinstein, described the verdict by the Court of Appeals as a significant triumph for all individuals accused of crimes in New York state.

The office of the Manhattan district attorney expressed its commitment to make every effort to retry this case.

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Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 Rape Conviction Overturned By NY Appeals Court

Lawyer Douglas H. Wigdor, who has legally represented eight individuals accusing Harvey Weinstein, including two witnesses in the New York criminal prosecution, described the ruling as “a significant regression in ensuring that those responsible for acts of sexual violence are held accountable.”

“Courts frequently allow the introduction of evidence regarding additional acts that the defendant has not been charged with, if it helps the jury to comprehend matters related to the defendant’s intention, method of operation, or overall plan.” Wigdor stated that overturning the verdict would be unfortunate because it would necessitate the victims to go through another trial, after the jury was informed of the importance of this testimony.

Debra Katz, a well-known lawyer specializing in civil rights and #MeToo cases, who advocated for multiple accusations of Weinstein, expressed that her clients are deeply devastated by the decision. However, she firmly believed and assured them that their testimonies had a profound impact on society.

“Individuals persist in stepping forward, individuals persist in providing assistance to other victims who have reported instances of sexual assault and violence, and I firmly believe that there is no possibility of reverting from this progress,” Katz stated, foreseeing Weinstein’s conviction at a subsequent trial.

She stated that the women derive immense solace from the fact that Weinstein will continue to be incarcerated.

The overturning of Weinstein’s conviction is the second significant setback for the #MeToo movement in the past two years, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of an appeal to reinstate Bill Cosby’s conviction for sexual assault, as ruled by a Pennsylvania court.

Weinstein’s conviction endured for almost four years, celebrated by activists and advocates as a significant accomplishment, but promptly scrutinized by his lawyers and, subsequently, by the Court of Appeals during the February hearings.

The accusations against Weinstein, the formerly influential and intimidating studio executive responsible for acclaimed films like “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love,” marked the beginning of the #MeToo movement. A multitude of women, including renowned actresses like Ashley Judd and Uma Thurman, stepped forward to accuse Weinstein. The New York trial he was involved in garnered significant media attention, with demonstrators outside the courthouse vocally accusing him of being a rapist.

AP – VOR News Image

Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 Rape Conviction Overturned By NY Appeals Court

Weinstein is currently imprisoned at the Mohawk Correctional Facility in New York, which is located around 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Albany.

He asserts his innocence. He asserts that all sexual activity was consenting.

Aidala contended during the February appeals court hearing that Burke influenced the trial by permitting three women to provide testimony regarding charges that were not relevant to the case and by granting prosecutors the authority to question Weinstein, had he chosen to testify, about his extensive record of aggressive conduct.

Aidala contended that the additional testimony exceeded the usual permissible scope of providing information about purpose, opportunity, intent, or a common scheme or plan. Furthermore, it effectively subjected Weinstein to a trial for offenses for which he was not formally accused.

Weinstein expressed a desire to provide testimony but ultimately decided against it due to Burke’s judgment, which would have required him to answer inquiries regarding over twenty-four reported instances of misconduct spanning a period of forty years. His behavior encompassed engaging in physical altercations with his brother, forcefully overturning a table out of fury, berating waitstaff, and shouting at his subordinates.

An attorney representing the Manhattan district attorney’s office, responsible for prosecuting the case, contended that the judge’s decisions were appropriate and that the additional evidence and testimony he permitted were crucial in offering jurors a comprehensive understanding of Weinstein’s conduct and his interactions with women.

According to Appellate Chief Steven Wu, Weinstein’s acquittal on the charges of predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape, specifically related to actor Annabella Sciorra’s allegations of rape in the mid-1990s, indicates that the jurors were attentive and not confused or overwhelmed by the additional testimony.Typically, the Associated Press does not reveal the identities of individuals who claim to be victims of sexual assault unless they give their permission to be named. However, Sciorra has chosen to discuss her allegations publicly.

AP – VOR News Image

Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 Rape Conviction Overturned By NY Appeals Court

Last year, the Court of Appeals agreed to review Weinstein’s case following a decision by an intermediate appeals court to uphold his conviction.

Before rendering their decision, judges on the lower appellate court had expressed skepticism regarding Burke’s behavior during oral arguments. It was noted that Burke allowed prosecutors to present “highly biased testimony” from extra witnesses.

Burke’s tenure concluded at the conclusion of 2022. He was not renewed in his position and has ceased to hold the role of a judge.

Weinstein’s lawyers filed an appeal specifically requesting a fresh trial just for the charge of criminal sexual act. They contended that the rape case could not be subjected to a new trial due to the alleged behavior falling beyond the legal time limit.

SOURCE – (AP)