Iranian rapper's death sentence sparks protests in Southern California
Demonstrators around the globe, including here in Los Angeles, came out over the weekend to protest the Iranian Revolutionary Courts death sentence against rapper Toomaj Salehi, according to multiple reports.
The 33-year-old metal shop worker gained prominence for his lyrics criticizing the Islamic Republic after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died while in custody of police in Iran. She was allegedly arrested for wearing her hijab too loosely.
Aminis death, which UN investigators say Iran was responsible for, ignited massive protests and a violent, monthslong crackdown by Iranian security forces that killed 500 people and detained more than 20,000, the Associated Press reported.
Several high-profile advocates and organizations, including the U.S. Government, have spoken out against Iran on behalf of Salehi and others. https://ktla.com/news/local-news/demonstrators-in-southern-california-protest-iranian-rappers-death-sentence/