Toomaj Salehi Freed: A Victory for Resistance and Solidarity

Toomaj Salehi Freed: A Victory for Resistance and Solidarity After seven hundred and fifty-three days in an Iranian prison, the rapper and activist Toomaj Salehi walked free on Sunday. Freemuse welcomes his release. But his journey to freedom has been emblematic of the tension and upheaval that have defined Iran’s political climate since the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in the custody of Iran’s morality police in September 2022. Salehi’s arrest, in October of that year, followed his outspoken role in the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests. His music and activism, criticising systemic oppression and the violence of the state, led to a conviction for “corruption on earth,” and a death sentence handed down in April 2024. Though the Supreme Court overturned the sentence in June, Salehi remained imprisoned, held on a constantly shifting list of allegations that underlined the arbitrary cruelty of the regime. Finally, on 1 December 2024, after serving a one-year term for propaganda against the Islamic Republic, he was released. Salehi’s detention has been marked by allegations of torture, including electric shocks, beatings that fractured his bones, and solitary confinement that stretched for months. Amnesty International labelled his trial “grossly unfair,” and his struggle drew global solidarity, with more than a hundred cultural and entertainment figures calling for his freedom. In a statement, his cousin, Arezou Eghbali Babadi, and a close friend, Negin Niknaam, expressed profound gratitude for the international outcry that they say helped secure Salehi’s release. But their message also sounded a cautionary note: “We cannot forget the unlawful and oppressive rules that continue to exert severe psychological pressure on freedom seekers and their families.” For now, Salehi’s release is a significant achievement in the fight for freedom, though it serves as a simple reminder of the ongoing risks faced by those who challenge a repressive regime. 

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Calls Intensify for Release of Egyptian Cartoonist Ashraf Omar

Egyptian cartoonist and activist Ashraf Omar has spent over 100 days in pre-trial detention under dubious terrorism charges. Arrested on 22 July, Omar’s satirical cartoons criticising government policy failures—such as Egypt’s debt crisis and power blackouts—are widely believed to be the reason for his imprisonment. Reports suggest he was beaten during his arrest and threatened with electrocution, and his detention has been repeatedly extended, most recently on 10 November via video conference, without evidence or due process. Freemuse, on 30 October, along with 15 other human rights and cartoonist organisations, joined calls for Omar’s immediate release, emphasising his right to freedom of expression. Omar’s case highlights systemic abuses, including mistreatment in custody, restricted family contact, and the misuse of pre-trial detention to silence dissent. Critics argue that Egypt’s actions send a chilling message to all artists and critics. Global organisations urge an end to his unjust detention, dismissal of baseless charges, and his safe return to family.    Read the petition here: cartoonistsrights.org/ashraf-omar-100-days.  

Memory, Identity, and Art: Stories from Minority Voices

Art takes center stage as a powerful voice for justice and inclusion at the ‘Arts, Minorities, and Human Rights’ exhibition, which opened in early November at the Centre des Arts, International School of Geneva.

Artistic and LGBTQ+ Freedoms in Kenya Under Scrutiny

Freemuse and Nhimbe Trust’s joint submission to Kenya’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR), April/May 2025, raises concerns about Kenya’s obligations to protect freedom of expression, focusing on the criminalisation of LGBTQ+ artists, state suppression of artistic content, and restrictions on public assembly.

Freemuse Highlights Türkiye’s Growing Restrictions on Arts and Civil Society

Freemuse and P24 – Susma has made a submission for consideration by the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Türkiye to the United Nations (UN) 49th Session of the Human Rights Council that will be held in April/May 2025. The UPR is a UN process that reviews human rights records of all members states every five years.