Popular Kurdish singer, Hossein Safamanesh, from Kermanshah, arrested

Hengaw: Friday, October 7, 2022

 Hossein Safamanesh, a famous and popular singer from Kermanshah, has been arrested by the Iranian security forces after he announced that he had cut off all his cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Guidance and the Islamic Republic of Iran's Broadcasting Corporation as a sign of protest against the murder of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini.
 

 According to the report received by the Hengaw human rights organization, on Thursday, October 6, 2022, he was arrested after being summoned to Tehran’s Intelligence Department, and his fate is unknown.
 

 Hengaw has learned that this young and popular artist informed his 15-year-old daughter about his arrest through a phone call.
 

 Hossein Safamanesh's arrest comes following when he published a video on his Instagram account not long ago and announced that he canceled his concert in the city of Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan Region despite the sale of tickets, due to the recent protests.
 

 In a part of his speech, this artist says: "I will stop all my cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Guidance, as well as the Islamic Republic of Iran's Radio and Television, and I will not have any more plans."
 

 Mr. Safamanesh continues: "I don't consider myself an artist, but I know that the mission of an artist is to be with his people in historical battles, not to be against them. I, Hossein Safamanesh, declare this as long as the people are on the street, my performance stage will be on the street as well, not at Vahdat Hall , not at Milad Tower. I am with you, people."