Jailed Iranian dissident rapper Saman Yasin, who was detained during the nationwide protests in 2022 and has since detailed harrowing accounts of physical and psychological torture he has endured, has once again been moved from prison to a psychiatric institution.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported Yasin's transfer to the Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital in Rey on March 7, adding he was moved from the Qezelhesar prison in Karaj earlier this week.
The move has again put a spotlight on the treatment of political prisoners in Iran, where the judiciary sends offenders to psychiatric centers as part of their punishment. Prominent psychiatry boards in Iran have called the practice an abuse of judicial authority.
Yasin recently made a plea from prison to the judiciary to "issue my death sentence" rather than continue holding him indefinitely without a trial. He has been detained without trial for 18 months, with multiple court dates set and then subsequently delayed.
Initial reports suggest Yasin was first taken to a local police station during nationwide protests in September 2022 before being transferred to Evin prison and subsequently to the Greater Tehran prison.
The judiciary's news agency has reported that Yasin was accused of "waging war against God," a charge that led to a death sentence from the Tehran Revolutionary Court. However, the Supreme Court accepted Yasin's appeal for a retrial and referred his case back to the Revolutionary Court. A retrial has yet to take place.
Yasin has described enduring a "mock execution" set up by prison officials before being moved to prison in Karaj.
He has consistently maintained his innocence, releasing multiple audio recordings to publicize his claims. He has also reportedly launched at least one hunger strike in protest.
It's not Yasin's first transfer to Aminabad, where he previously reported adverse reactions to an unidentified medication, raising serious health concerns. The incident mirrors the case of Behnam Mahjoubi, a Gonabadi Dervish activist who died in 2021 following similar transfers and medical neglect.
Human rights lawyer Saeed Dehghan has criticized the use of psychiatric facilities like Aminabad for political prisoners, indicating a punitive approach by the judiciary and prison authorities.
Since the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in custody after she was detained for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly, Iranians have taken to the streets across the country to protest a lack of rights, with women and schoolgirls making unprecedented shows of support in the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.
The judiciary, at the urging of lawmakers, has instituted harsh penalties, including the death sentence, for offenders.