[JURIST] The UN human rights experts on cultural rights and on freedom of expression, Karima Bennoune and David Kaye [official websites], called Friday for the release of artists [press release] jailed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. In particular, they called upon Iran to release two musicians, Mehdi Rajabian and Yousef Emadi, and a filmmaker, Hossein Rajabian, charged with “insulting Islamic sanctities,” “propoganda against the State” and “conducting illegal activities in the audiovisual affaires including through producing prohibited audiovisual material and performing an illegal and underground music site.” The three artists, after appeal, were sentenced to three years in prison and fined $50 million Rial each. While they acknowledged that their prison sentences had been reduced, the experts called the sentences “unacceptable and in complete violation of international human rights law binding on Iran.”

Much international pressure has been directed toward Iran in recent years for its human rights abuses. In March UN rights experts expressed concern [JURIST report] over the overwhelming number of juvenile executions in Iran. Last October UN human rights experts condemned [JURIST report] Iran’s execution of a juvenile offender convicted of murdering her husband whom she was forced to marry at the age of 16. She was executed despite several reports of flaws in her trial and appeals process. Also in October an Iranian Revolutionary Court convicted [JURIST report] Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, who was later released. In May of last year UN human rights experts condemned [JURIST report] the growing number of executions in Iran in recent years. According to the Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Iran and on extrajudicial executions, Iran had executed approximately six people per day between April 9 and April 26 and 350 total up to that point.