Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Court has approved an appeal of Kurdish rapper Saman Seydi Yasin against his death sentence announced by a lower court earlier, the country’s top judiciary said in a statement on Saturday.
The statement said that Iran’s Supreme Court has retained the death punishment handed down to another protester by the court.
Saman Seydi Yasin is a Kurd rapper, who sings about oppression, unemployment and inequality in the country. He has been accused of trying to kill security personnel in Iran during an anti-government protest. However, he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Iran’s top court
According to the Iranian media, the Supreme Court approved the appeal of Yasin and the case has been referred back to the lower court for a review. The Supreme Court also said that it did not accept the appeal of another protestor Mohammad Ghobadlo.
In a video, Yasin mother pleaded to save her son’s life.
Iran has seen widespread unrest following the custodial death of Kurd woman Mahsa Amini in September for violation “country’s dress code”.
Iran earlier hanged two protesters, Mohsen Shekari and Majid Reza Rahnavard.
Amnesty International asked the international community to press Iran to stop Mohammad Ghobadlo’s execution and “not permit Iran to claim another innocent life”.
Amnesty International said that Iranian officials were seeking the death penalty for 26 people. It said all of those facing death sentences have been denied the right to defence and access to lawyers.
It added defendants have to rely on state-appointed lawyers who do little to defend the accused.
Right groups claimed that 506 protesters have been killed in Iran during the protests. It said that 66 members of the security forces have also been killed during the protest in the country. Reports said that as many as 18,516 protesters have been arrested in Iran. However, Iranian officials said that 300 people, including members of the security forces, have lost their lives in the political unrest in the country.
