Tomaj Salehi "arrested in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari"

After some state-run news agencies reported the arrest of protest singer Tomaj Salehi, claiming that he was arrested while "illegally leaving the western borders of the country," his Twitter account and his uncle announced that he had been arrested in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.

The "Daneshjo" news agency, one of the news agencies close to the Revolutionary Guards, announced this news and also published a photo of the protesting singer, who is seen wearing a blindfold inside a car.

An hour later, Tomaj Salehi's Twitter account, while denying the claim that he was arrested "while leaving the border," also published a screenshot of Mr. Salehi's previous message to his account administrator, which shows his advice for after the arrest.

This account became inaccessible minutes after these two messages were published.

At the same time, Iqbal Iqbali, Tomaj Salehi's uncle, also issued a statement saying that Tomaj "was in the vicinity of Bakhtiari when he reported seeing suspicious things in his secret residence at 4:30 a.m., after which the connection was cut off and neighbors informed some of his friends that he had been arrested."

Gardbisheh is a village in Gandoman District, Borujen County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran.

In this statement, Tomaj Salehi's uncle also called the photo published in news agencies close to the IRGC of Tomaj's arrest "Photoshopped."

Some Twitter users have also pointed out that the photo appears to be taken during the day, despite the time of the arrest being in the dark and the time of publication this morning. Some users have also pointed out other signs that the photo is fake.

On Sunday afternoon, the Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the judiciary, confirmed the news of Toumaj Salehi's arrest, quoting Seyyed Mohammad Moussavian, the prosecutor of Isfahan, and claimed that he "played a key role in creating unrest and inciting and encouraging recent unrest and riots in Isfahan province and Shahinshahr city."

According to this judicial official, Tomaj Salehi "was arrested by judicial proxy in one of the provinces of the country and is currently under the supervision of the investigation branch with a warrant issued. After a full review of the case, he will be referred to court for trial."

Tomaj Salehi, a rapper from Shahinshahr, Isfahan, whose whereabouts are unknown and who has published many messages in support of the people during the nationwide protests, wrote two days ago to the IRGC and Shahinshahr intelligence that if the city's detained protesters are released by midnight, he will surrender to security forces the next day.

However, he wrote to them at midnight: "I just wanted to show you what cowardly scoundrels you are. You are the same scum who use ambulances to transport the force of repression and arrest people."

Mr. Salehi was arrested at his home on September 11 last year after publishing several protest songs and was released on bail a few days later.

He himself had announced in February last year that the court had ruled to impose a fine and six months of suspended imprisonment on "accusations of insulting the leadership and propaganda against the system."

Source: Radio Farda