I was part of that campaign and listened to his rap every day. I was crushed when the regime sentenced him to death.

Whether it was a setup from the start to paint him as opposition or he broke under prison pressure (understandably), we may never know.

Iran has executed prisoners despite global outcry—Navid Afkari, for example. Yet Toomaj was freed with far less pressure.

The regime has long crafted fake opposition. Toomaj may have been a pawn all along, and his message to stay in Tehran is dangerous.