Kurdish Singer Saman Yassin's Court Hearing Cancelled for the Third Time, Health Deteriorating

Hengaw: Wednesday, October 25, 2023

The court hearing for Saman Yassin, the detained Kurdish singer and songwriter hailing from Kermanshah (Kermashan), has been canceled for the third consecutive time. Following a year and 22 days of incarceration and alleged mistreatment, the artist has developed a critical health condition referred to as "administrative blood."

According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Monday, October 23, 2023, the scheduled hearing for Saman Yassin's case in branch 28 of the Tehran General and Revolutionary Court was unexpectedly canceled.

This cancellation comes in spite of previous postponements, with his court session being canceled on May 8, 2023. Furthermore, on September 9 of this year, the trial of his charges could not proceed due to "Judge Salavati’s mission trip."

Saman Yassin had emphasized the public nature of his court session, insisting that domestic and international lawyers and journalists be allowed to attend. He urged them to submit their requests for attendance in writing to Judge Salvati and the court officials.

Yassin has alleged that the repeated cancellations of his court sessions and the failure to transfer him to a hospital are part of a deliberate process aimed at "destroying his body and soul" by security authorities.

According to a reliable source close to Saman Yassin’s family, this political prisoner has suffered from hematuria ("administrative blood") and experienced excruciating pain while urinating. Despite this, he has been prevented from receiving medical treatment outside the prison by claiming that his medical commission request has not been processed.

On Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023, Saman Yassin was transferred from Rajaeeshahr Prison to Ward Eight of Evin Prison along with a group of political prisoners. Subsequently, on September 3, he was moved to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Notably, he was involuntarily expelled from unit 3 of Ghezel Hessar prison on September 20 of this year, with no opportunity to retrieve his personal belongings, and was relocated to a detention facility for prisoners involved in drug-related crimes.

On October 29, 2022, Saman Yassin was initially sentenced to death by the General and Revolutionary Court of Tehran on charges of "waging war against God." This ruling was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court, and his case was returned to the same branch for re-examination.

Saman Saidi, known as Saman Yasin, is a renowned songwriter, composer, and rapper from Kermanshah, currently residing in Tehran. He was apprehended by security forces at his residence on Sunday,October 2nd, 2022, for his alleged involvement in supporting protests and subsequently incarcerated in Rajaei prison.