After spending two years in prison in Iran, the Kurdish rapper Saman Yasin arrived in Germany.  The writers' association PEN Berlin announced that Yasin, PEN’s honorary member, has been in Berlin since Friday. The 29-year-old, whose real name is Saman Seydi and comes from Kirmaşan (Kermanshah) in Eastern Kurdistan, was met at the airport by the German-Iranian author Daniela Sepehri, PEN Berlin member and co-initiator of the sponsorship program for political prisoners in Iran.

Saman Yasin was imprisoned in October 2022 for his anti-regime lyrics, shortly after the start of the "Jin Jiyan Azadî" protests, which were triggered by the police murder of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini. In connection with the protests, the musician was accused of "hostility towards God" and sentenced to death by a revolutionary court in a show trial. Although the Supreme Court granted an appeal that same year, he remained in custody until the end of 2024.

According to PEN, Yasin was severely tortured and mistreated in prison, and even suffered a mock execution.

Since his arrest, the Berlin human rights organization Hawar Help has campaigned for his release together with PEN Berlin and Bundestag member Carlos Kasper. The SPD politician also took over sponsorship of Yasin.