Tehran Prosecutor Calls Three Artists to Serve Prison Sentences

Two Iranian composers and a filmmaker, who have faced legal rulings due to their artistic activities, have been summoned to serve their prison sentences. According to Amnesty International, the Tehran Prosecutor's Office has requested that Mehdi Rajabian and Youssef Emadi, composers, and Hossein Rajabian, a filmmaker, report to the prosecutor's office by June 1. Youssef Emadi, Mehdi Rajabian, and Hossein Rajabian were each sentenced to three years of imprisonment, three years of suspended imprisonment, and a fine of 20 million tomans after their cases were reviewed in Branch 54 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, with charges of 'propaganda against the regime' and 'insulting sacred values.' However, Amnesty International emphasized that if the sentences are executed, these three Iranian artists would be considered 'prisoners of conscience,' as they have been subjected to these rulings due to their artistic activities. Previously, in March of last year, Amnesty International criticized the prison sentences for these three artists, warning the Iranian authorities about the 'ongoing repression of artists and the violation of freedom of expression in Iran.' Mehdi Rajabian, along with his brother Hossein Rajabian and Youssef Emadi, were arrested in October 2013 in their studio and office, and as reported by the Kaleme website, all three were released on bail of 200 million tomans after enduring two months in solitary confinement in the IRGC's Ward 2A. At that time, Kaleme reported on 'severe pressures' on these three artists for televised confessions. Subsequently, in December 2015, it was announced that these three artists had each been sentenced to six years in prison, a ruling that was later changed in March after a retrial to three years of actual imprisonment and three years of suspended imprisonment for each. The main reason for the prosecution of these three artists is said to be the establishment of an underground music website called 'Barg Music' for the 'production, distribution, and introduction of Iranian underground music.' In December 2015, more than 400 people, including dozens of music activists, published a letter to Ali Jannati, Iran's Minister of Culture, demanding the release of these three individuals. Following this, the Music Freedom Defense Association, along with nine other international organizations, sent a letter to the head of Iran's judiciary and other officials, requesting the acquittal of these three artists. The issuance of judicial rulings against these three artists also prompted other reactions, including a statement in December 2015 signed by 165 artists, writers, and civil activists protesting the judicial rulings against Mehdi Rajabian and Youssef Emadi, composers, and Hossein Rajabian, a filmmaker, calling for their acquittal and a change in the government's approach towards cultural and artistic activists. This statement, signed by figures such as Jafar Panahi, Mohsen Namjoo, Shahrnush Parsipur, Mehrangiz Kar, and Shahin Najafi, emphasized that artists and cultural figures in Iran are experiencing 'harder days than before.'