US lawmakers push to sanction Iranian officials over death sentence for rapper Toomaj Salehi

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation Friday targeting Iranian officials involved in the prosecution and death sentence of a rapper who came to fame for his lyrics about the 2022 death of an Iranian woman and his criticism of the Islamic Republic. The proposal would impose sanctions on the judges, prosecutors and investigators of Iran’s Revolutionary Courts in response to Tehran’s continuing crackdown against dissenters — including rapper Toomaj Salehi — after years of mass protests in the country. “Toomaj Salehi has used his platform to give a voice to the voiceless and bravely speak out against the Iran regime’s torture, abuse, and crackdown against the free will of the Iranian people,” Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., one of the bill’s lead sponsors, said in a statement to The Associated Press. “Unfortunately, he is just the latest victim of the regime’s cruelty.” She added that the bill — titled the TOOMAJ Act — will allow the U.S. “to stand side by side with Toomaj and other peaceful protesters demanding basic human rights and take targeted action against the Iran regime.” It marks the latest congressional action against the Islamic Republic in recent months as Democratic and Republican lawmakers have united in decrying the country’s human rights record as well as its role in the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, including the Israel-Hamas war. He faces charges, including “spreading corruption on the Earth” that his supporters say stem from the hip-hop artist’s music and participation in the protests that broke out in Iran over the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police after being detained for wearing her hijab too loosely.