Iranian Rapper Toomaj Salehi Sentenced to Death Over Music Criticizing Government

On the eve of the start of the Cannes Film Festival, embattled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof is gaining support from others in the film industry.

Editors note: Running until the final general election results come in, the Deadline ElectionLine podcast spotlights the 2024 campaign and the blurred lines between politics and entertainment in modern America. Hosted by Deadline’s political editor Ted Johnson and executive editor Dominic Patten, the podcast features commentary and interviews with top lawmakers and entertainment figures. At the same time, you can follow all the news in the Biden & Trump rematch and more on the ElectionLine hub on Deadline.

Jon Burlingame The music from “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “The Last of Us,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “American Symphony” and “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” received Composers’ Choice Awards Thursday night from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Daniel Pemberton won Film Score of the Year for the animated “Spider-Man” sequel; David Fleming took Television Score of the Year for HBO’s “Last of Us”; Siddhartha Khosla received Television Theme of the Year honors for Hulu’s “Only Murders”; Jon Batiste earned Documentary Score of the Year for “American Symphony”; and Gordy Haab won Video Game Score of the Year for EA’s “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.” The Composers Choice Awards are voted by members of the ASCAP composer and songwriter community and are unique among awards given by performing-rights organizations.

Sean Viator, a dancer and choreographer who performed on TV shows American Idol and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga on Netflix, died May 3 at 31, his family announced, No cause was given.

Dissident Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has been sentenced to eight years in prison as well as flogging, a fine and confiscation of his property, his lawyer Babak Paknia announced in a post on X on Wednesday.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor As expected, TikTok filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the U.S.’s new law that would force parent company ByteDance to sell the app — or face a nationwide ban. TikTok filed the lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S.

American Idol viewers and gospel music fans alike are still grappling with singer Mandisa‘s tragic and unforeseen death.

BBC, Mark Davyd (CEO of the Music Venue Trust) said he was to meet with the Co-Op Live once the venue was up and running. The meeting comes amongst the furore with Co-Op Live’s executive director Gary Roden, who suggested some grassroots venues were “poorly run” whilst discussing the case for a £1 ticket levy to preserve them.Davyd later criticised Roden’s comments, pointing out the average age of the artists booked to play at the venue was 52: “The average length of time it takes for a British artist to be booked to headline the Coop Live Arena from the date of the release of their first album is 30 (THIRTY) years.

Donald Trump is said to be looking for rappers to help him get more Black voters ahead of this year’s presidential election.Over the weekend, a news report by The Boston Herald suggested that Trump wants to put on a campaign fundraising event at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The 45th president wants rappers and athletes in attendance to encourage more Black and Latin voters to vote for him and the Republican party this November.

Siddhant Adlakha A film that pivots around a court case about its own making, buried treasure documentary “A Band of Dreamers and a Judge” features hints of allure that eventually wane. Shot in Iran, where unauthorized excavations remain illegal, Hesam Eslami’s chronicle of a group of treasure hunters is an occasionally intense process piece that often loses steam, especially during its attempts at intimate portraiture.

Lily Moayeri While the United States continues to debate how and when hip-hop lyrics can be used in court, dissident Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death on April 24 for lyrics that criticized the Islamic Republic’s ruling regime. The sentence, handed down by the ruling Republic Court of the Islamic Republic, overturns a decree from the higher Supreme Court which, according to the New York Times, found issues with the original ruling that sentenced Salehi to six years imprisonment and banned him from making music or singing for two years. The reason given for Salehi’s execution, which the Islamic Republic administers by hanging, is his involvement with Iran’s 2022 protests through his music.

diss track Quavo released only three days ago.It may just be that, despite having sold millions of records solo and as part of Migos, Quavo struggled to shift tickets to this particular show.And he’s in good company: Only a few weeks ago, another top US rapper, Nelly, made headlines when he performed to a near-empty arena in Florida.There, the story had an even bigger sting. Nelly’s show was in fact a free concert offered to students at the University of Florida.

Shargh and Entekhab.State media reported that his sentence could be reduced by a pardoning committee if he appeals again.Salehi had spent time in prison last year and was briefly released, but according to witness testimonies, he was violently rearrested and sent him to prison in Isfahan. This happened after he revealed that he was tortured and placed in solitary confinement for 252 days following his arrest in October 2022, UN experts said in a statement published by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).Salehi isn’t the only artist to have been targeted for showing opposition to the government.

Women who travel to the US under a Scottish Government scheme to fix a medical scandal face a postcode lottery of follow up treatment after returning home.

A lawyer for Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi said his client has been given a death sentence for his involvement in the protests that swept Iran in 2022.

One month on since Death in Paradise fans were devastated by the departure of fan favourite Ralf Little, avid viewers have been abuzz with excitement over who may replace him as the show’s lead. So far, plenty of big name stars have been rumoured to be in the frame to potentially take over the role, with Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint and Doc Martin’s lead actor Martin Clunes among the top contenders.

Kellie Pickler is making an emotional return to the stage.

Kellie Pickler is back.

Miss USA Cheslie Kryst has published her first memoir with the help of her mother. The beauty queen died two years ago at the age of 30. Her mother, April Simpkins, is the co-author of the memoir, titled “By The Time You Read This,” which explores Kryst’s battle with depression and mental illness.

Katcy Stephan Endeavor has hired Matt Kaplan as vice president of government relations to lead government affairs across Endeavor’s businesses, including WME. In the new role, Kaplan will lead Endeavor’s policy, political and civic-related priorities, working closely with each business to determine and execute annual policy priorities. He will support initiatives on behalf of WME and its clients, including AI legislative protections and advising talent with their political engagements such as the presidential campaign.