Exclusive | Nighttime Transfer of Saman Yasin to Qazal Hesar; Informed Source: He Was Bound to the Bed with Handcuffs and Leg Irons

An informed source told Voice of America that Saman Saidi (Yasin), who was transferred from Qazal Hesar prison to Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital, was returned to prison at night after a week. According to this exclusive report received by the Persian section of Voice of America, Saman Saidi (Yasin) was returned to Qazal Hesar prison on Sunday evening, March 20, and during the week he was imprisoned at Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital, he was 'bound to the bed with leg irons and handcuffs.' An informed source told Voice of America that upon his return to prison, Saman Yasin stated that during the past week he had been 'mistreated throughout his entire imprisonment' and 'was even forced to use the restroom with handcuffs and leg irons.' According to this informed source, 'the prison officials had promised his cellmates before Saman Yasin's transfer that there would be no handcuffs or leg irons, and this political prisoner would be sent for 'treatment.' A source close to Saman Saidi emphasized that 'he was told that this type of treatment was a direct order from the Director General of Prisons, Hayat al-Ghayb,' adding: 'This is a new form of torture for political prisoners.' Saman Yasin, a protesting rapper, was transferred again from Qazal Hesar prison in Karaj to Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital in the city of Rey on Tuesday, March 15. This rapper and songwriter from Kermanshah had written in a letter addressed to Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, the head of the judiciary, referring to 18 months of uncertainty and transfers in Tehran and Alborz prisons: 'You have executed me artificially, taken me to a mental hospital, what more do you want to do to me? Take my life too, just end it.' Recently, Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, described the human rights situation in Iran as a 'bitter reality' and urged the international community not to remain silent in the face of widespread human rights violations in Iran. The UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding committee has emphasized serious human rights violations by the Islamic Republic in Iran in a report. Following this report, Abram Pilie, Deputy Special Representative of the U.S. State Department for Iran, called for the continuation of this committee's mission regarding Iran, stating: 'The whole world is paying attention to the fact-finding committee's report and its conclusion that many serious human rights violations have occurred in Iran that may constitute crimes against humanity.'