Comics make human rights plea to Iran

A group of British comedians have written a letter to Iran, urging its government to respect the human rights of its people.

The 15 signatories, including Russell Brand, David Baddiel and Jo Brand, raised their concern over the "continuing imprisonment for more than eight months of seven leaders of the Baha'i community in Iran".

The letter, published in The Times, claims that no formal evidence has been brought against those concerned, nor have they been given access to their legal counsel - the Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi.

"In reality, their only 'crime', which the current regime finds intolerable, is that they hold a religious belief that is different from the majority," the letter states.

The call for a fair trial was also backed by Bill Bailey, Morwenna Banks, Sanjeev Bhasker, Rob Brydon, Jimmy Carr, Jack Dee, Omid Djalili, Sean Lock, Lee Mack, Alexei Sayle, Meera Syal and Mark Thomas.