Danial Moghaddam

Age: 32
Activism/rights: Rapper
Status: Released; banned from residing in Tehran and neighbouring provinces
Judicial status: 2-year ban on residence in Tehran and neighbouring provinces and several months’ suspended imprisonment
Violations: Arbitrary arrest and detention; denial of fair trial and due process; travel ban; familial punishment; denial of access to lawyer

Danial Moghadam is a rapper who has supported the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement through the publication of protest videos on social media and attended the graves of those killed and executed in connection with the protests, dedicating his artistic works to them, and staged a sit-in outside Evin Prison in protest against the death penalty . In December 2023, together with actresses Sahar Zakaria and Saba Kamali, he released a music video titled “Houri” on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, following which they were summoned to the Culture and Media Prosecutor’s Office. Danial and fellow rapper Vafa Ahmadpour were arrested on 9 May 2024 after the release of the music video “Amadeh Bash” (“Be Ready”), which had been filmed at the ancient site of Persepolis. The work addressed repression, mass arrests and the economic crisis in Iran. Danial and Vafa were transferred to an Intelligence Ministry detention centre and later to Shiraz Central Prison. The rapper was released on bail on 6 July of the same year.

In August 2024, Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court sentenced Danial on charges of “propaganda against the system” to one year’s imprisonment under electronic ankle monitoring, a two-year travel ban and a two-year ban on online activities. Despite being under electronic monitoring, Danial continued his civil activities, including supporting truck drivers’ strikes, political prisoners and women, as well as producing protest music videos. One of these videos, titled “Frontline,” featured the families of those killed and people who suffered eye injuries during the 2022 protests. Due to these activities, he was repeatedly summoned to the Tehran Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office. On 22 June 2025, after being summoned and appearing before the prosecutor’s office at Evin Prison, Danial was transferred to the quarantine ward. One day later, during Israel’s attack on the prison, the walls of the quarantine ward were destroyed by explosions. He was missing for a period of time and, after three weeks, announced in a video message that he had “unintentionally” escaped from prison as a result of the blast wave caused by the airstrike.

The rapper was rearrested in Shiraz on 29 July and initially transferred to the Greater Tehran Penitentiary before later being moved to Evin Prison. Security forces repeatedly fired at and stopped his mother’s car in the Sadra district of Shiraz in order to arrest Danial Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced him on charges of “propaganda against the regime” to 8 months’ imprisonment, a two-year ban on residing in Tehran and neighbouring provinces and a travel ban. Publishing content on social media and sending images to Farsi-language media outlets outside Iran were among the charges brought against him.

On 24 February 2026, he was released from prison after the remainder of his sentence was suspended, and began serving his supplementary punishments, which he himself has described as exile.