Kurdish musician, singer, and dutar artist Yalda Abbasi was arrested in the city of Mashhad after her one-year prison sentence, imposed for her artistic and civil activities during the “Jin Jiyan Azadî” protests in Iran, was upheld.
According to reports, Abbasi was arrested during a raid on her family home in Mashhad, while on a visit to her family on January 23, 2026. The artist was immediately transferred to Vakilabad Prison. It was reported that the sentence handed down in her absence had begun to be enforced.
Reports say that Yalda Abbasi, who lives in Germany, traveled to Iran with her husband and child and was arrested during this visit. Her family states that they were not informed of Abbasi’s trial and that she was not granted the right to defense and legal representation.
Yalda Abbasi, a graduate of the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Italy, is known for her work combining Kurdish and Horasan music with classical vocal training. Abbasi, one of the founders of the all-female Nazar music group, is among the important figures increasing the visibility of women in the field of music.