Kurdish rapper Saman Yasin, who was arrested during the Women Life Freedom uprising in Tehran one and a half years ago, was transferred from Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Alborz Province, to Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital in Rey, Tehran Province, on 5 March, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned.
This is Yasin’s second transfer to Aminabad in less than a year. Previously, on 22 July 2023, he was transferred from Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj to Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital by order of Judge Salavati, and returned to prison after a few days of involuntary hospitalisation, which came after an audio message from him detailing his situation surfaced on social media.
In the recording, Yasin exposed the torture he was subjected to during his detention and in the psychiatric centre, saying: “Upon arrival at Amin Abad Hospital, I was forcibly tied to the hospital bed by a group of prison guards and staff. My hands were handcuffed and my legs were shackled. An injection I was given left me unconscious for 24 hours”.
The second transfer comes a few days after the Kurdish rapper wrote an open letter to the head of the judiciary expressing his dissatisfaction with the continued uncertainty surrounding his detention.
Referring to his detention in Tehran and Karaj prisons over the past 18 months, Yasin said: “I, Saman Yasin (Seydi), have been held in limbo in Tehran and Karaj prisons for the past 18 months without any legal basis or documentation. Despite several court appearances during this period, no hearings have taken place. I continue to face mental, emotional and physical challenges as incompetent authorities fail to transfer me to medical facilities for necessary treatment”.
The political prisoner informed his family of his recent transfer in a brief phone call.
Yasin has suffered a nasal cavity tear due to torture during interrogation and has been denied access to medical treatment.
Background
Yasin, who comes from Kermanshah, western Iran, was arrested after he was beaten by security forces during the anti-government protests in Tehran on 30 September 2022.
After his arrest, Yasin was first taken to the Public Prosecutor’s Security Office in Evin Prison and then transferred to the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary and Evin Prisons.
On 29 October 2022, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s state news agencies reported that a court hearing was held for several arrested protesters, including Saman Yasin.
On the same day, a video of the singer’s forced “confessions” was released by state media.
The state-run outlets said that the Kurdish artist had been charged with “enmity against God” (moharebeh), which carries the death penalty in Iran, and “assembly and collusion with the intention of acting against the security of the country”.
Yasin’s death sentence verdict was issued by Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided over by Judge Amouzad.
In late December 2022, the Iranian Supreme Court overturned Yasin’s death sentence due to “lack of investigation” and referred it to the same court for reinvestigation and retrial.
The document sent to Yasin in prison stated that the charges brought against him were “assembly and collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the security of the country”, and “disturbing the public order and peace”.
Since his arrest, Yasin has been interrogated several times and subjected to physical and mental torture, including solitary confinement, being kept in a room known as “the morgue”, severe beating, sticking a pen in his left nostril, being thrown down from stairs, and being forced to make “confessions” under duress.
He has also gone on hunger strike several times to protest against his harsh conditions in prison and the state of uncertainty surrounding his case.
On 20 December 2022, Yasin attempted suicide by swallowing pills due to the harsh detention conditions in Hall 31 of Ward 10 of Rajai Shahr Prison. He received the initial treatment at the prison hospital and was then moved to the political prisoners’ ward.
Several scheduled hearings in Yasin’s case have been cancelled for various reasons. Most recently, on 7 February 2024, his court session at Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided over by Judge Salavati, was cancelled due to the absence of his appointed lawyer.
Following repeated cancellations, Yasin angrily banged his head against the wall in protest at the latest cancellation, causing serious injuries.
