Toomaj Salehi’s New Song Confronts Solitary Confinement

Toomaj Salehi’s New Song Confronts Solitary Confinement — And the System Behind It

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Iranian rapper and former political prisoner Toomaj Salehi has released a powerful new track titled “The Windowless Room,” drawn from his direct experience of solitary confinement. Salehi—who was arrested during Iran’s 2022 nationwide protests for his protest music—reportedly endured 252 days in solitary confinement, a form of white torture designed to break the mind and spirit.

He dedicates the song to all those who have been subjected to such torture in their pursuit of freedom. His voice speaks not only to physical incarceration, but also to the wider system of state repression—a coordinated effort that includes smear campaigns, censorship, and digital persecution.

In response, Narges Mohammadi, imprisoned human rights advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, issued this message:

“Toomaj Salehi, who has endured white torture—a psychological torment rooted in extreme isolation—has released a piece that gives voice to the horrors of solitary confinement. He sings of the crushing loneliness, the emotional and mental toll, and even the physical abuse suffered inside those walls.
With every word, I see the dark cells that have swallowed countless brave women and men. I see their struggle to survive—and their unwavering resistance.
No to White Torture.”
Narges Mohammadi
May 31, 2025

 

اثر جدید توماج صالحی درباره سلول انفرادی

توماج صالحی که «شکنجه سفید» را تجربه کرده و رنج طاقت فرسا و هولناک حبس در سلول انفرادی و تنهایی و انزوا و فشار های روحی و روانی و گاه جسمی آن را از سر گذرانده است، از سلول انفرادی و شکنجه سفید خوانده است.

با هر کلامش، سلول های تاریک را که زنان و مردان مبارز را بلعیده و تقلا و مبارزه آنان را برای زنده ماندن و مقاومت میبینم.

نه به شکنجه سفید
نرگس محمدی
۱۰ خرداد ۱۴۰۴