Samane Yasin Sentenced to 5 Years Exile in Kerman; His Lawyer: I Will Appeal

The lawyer of Samane Yasin (Saeed) announced that the Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced this political prisoner to five years of exile in one of the cities of Kerman province after 18 months of temporary detention. Hossein Sarti, a lawyer, stated on Sunday, April 21, on social media platform X that "Samane Yasin has escaped execution," adding that Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran has sentenced this protesting singer, who was among those arrested during the nationwide protests of 2022, to "five years of exile in one of the cities of Kerman province." Although Hossein Sarti did not mention imprisonment in his report, a source close to Samane Yasin told Voice of America that this protesting artist has been sentenced to "five years of imprisonment in exile" in "Babak city" of Kerman province, and this ruling was communicated to the political prisoner "in prison by a court-appointed lawyer." In response to this ruling, Hossein Sarti stated that he would appeal to the Supreme Court, as his client has "been in temporary detention for over 18 months." Samane Yasin, the imprisoned protesting singer, was transferred from Qezel Hesar prison in Alborz province to Imam Ali Hospital in Karaj for nasal surgery on Saturday, April 13, months after his nose was broken during "torture" in prison. Samane Yasin was arrested in early October 2022 and was initially sentenced to death by the Islamic Revolutionary Court on charges of "moharebeh" (waging war against God), "gathering and colluding to commit a crime," and "acting against national security," but this sentence was later overturned by the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic. This political prisoner had previously reported in an audio message about being tortured in prison through methods including mock execution, forced confession, and having his nose broken. The U.S. Department of State has previously condemned the torture of Samane Yasin, calling it a violation of human rights and contrary to respect for human dignity. Pressure on critical artists and singers supporting protesters has intensified, especially after the nationwide protests of 2022, with many being summoned or imprisoned.