HRANA News Agency – The two imprisoned artist brothers, Mahdi and Hussein Rajabian were informed that article 134 which would reduce the amount of their imprisonment and the fine will not be applied for them.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), based on the inquiries from Branch 54 of the Tehran Appeals Court, article 134 which would reduce the amount of their imprisonment and the fine will not be applied for them.
A source close to the imprisoned artists by announcing this news in an interview with HRANA’s reporter, added: “In the verdict they were informed that if they would not pay the fine, they would be in prison until 2020.”
These two brothers along with Yousef Emadi, were tried in branch number 28 of the revolutionary court by judge Moghiseh and sentenced to 6 years in prison and fines, on charge of sacrilege and propaganda against the regime.
These sentences were reduced in branch 54 of court of appeal to three years.
Amnesty international demanded the cancellation of the sentences of these artists in a statement and announced that Hossain Rajabian, filmmaker and the two musicians, Mehdi Rajabian and Yousef Emadi were sentenced to imprisonments for their artistic activities and they if imprisoned will be considered as prisoners of conscience.
Mehdi Rajabian, Hossain Rajabian and Yousef Emadi had been arrested in their office in Sari in October 2013. They were kept in an unknown location for 18 days, and went under harassment and tortures including electric shock, and then were transferred to ward 2-A of Evin prison.
After two months in solitary confinement and interrogation in ward 2-A, they were released on a bail of 2 billion IRR.
According to an informed source they were under pressure for TV confessions against themselves during interrogations, and the interrogator had threatened them that if they would not comply, they would be sentenced to lifetime prison.
These three artists were sentenced to 6 years in prison and fine, in the primary court, on charge of propaganda against the regime and blasphemy, in branch number 28 of the revolutionary court in December 2015.
An informed source told HRANA’s reporter, “The trial took few minutes and the presence of a lawyer was meaningless and there was no opportunity for any defense”.
The appeal court was held in January 2016 in branch number 54 by judge Babayi.
They were deprived of having lawyer throughout all of the process of their cases and even in the appeal court the judge has told them that having a lawyer was “meaningless” and they had to explain everything themselves. Despite their explanation that their confessions were taken under pressure, they were used as evidences against them.
165 musicians, filmmakers, scholars and activists, by signing a petition expressed their concerns and complains about the heavy sentences for Mehdi Rajabian, Music composer Se-Tar (music instrument) player and founder of Barg Music press; Hossain Rajabian, filmmaker and Yousef Emadi, music composer and asked for immediate and unconditional freedom of these artists and end of these type of behaviors with artists.