On November 18, Toomaj Salehi walked out of Isfahan Prison holding a bouquet of white roses, after 386 days of detention, of which 252 days were in solitary confinement under horrific conditions of torture and isolation.

His first words were, "I thought the saddest situation was being alone under the tortures of time, now I understand that being released alone (when others are still detained) is even more bitter," according to his official X and IG accounts.

His lawyer, Amir Raesian, told Shargh Daily news that Toomaj was released on bail, pursuant to an appeal of his unjust conviction and sentencing to 6 years in prison, due to a Supreme Court finding of "flaws in the initial sentence". He also said that Toomaj should qualify for amnesty. This refers to a program by Iran’s regime of a politically-motivated and limited amnesty offered to thousands of those arrested during months-long protests of the Woman-Life-Freedom uprising in Fall 2022.  On Toomaj’s behalf, Amir Raesian had also filed a suit against the regime for illegal detention of Toomaj on October 30, 2022, torture resulting in a broken leg, finger, fractured ribs, and severe damage to both eyes, and denial of timely treatment for his injuries, including surgery, deemed currently necessary, to correct his broken leg.

The IEC expresses heartfelt solidarity with Toomaj, his family and ardent supporters.  We want to echo the words of @FreeToomajNow, social media account of the International Campaign to Free Toomaj Salehi:

#ToomajSalehi, the artist, fighter, and popular figure, is free!
‎Congratulations to dear Toomaj for his resistance; congratulations to his resilient and unwavering family; congratulations to his legal team; and congratulations to the larger Toomaj family, meaning all the fighters and free individuals who worked for his freedom and that of other political prisoners. The struggle continues for the elimination of oppression, discrimination, suppression, and exploitation; the fight continues for the establishment of freedom and equality!

Stay tuned to the IEC website and social media (@IranPrisonEmerg) for more news and analysis of this important turn of events. For background on Toomaj, including a playlist of English subtitled music videos to share, see our #FreeToomaj Resources.