The United Nations human rights experts have called on Nigerian authorities to release singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu who was sentenced to death for blaspheming Prophet Muhammad.

Mr Sharif-Aminu, 22, was sentenced to death by hanging by an Upper Shari’a Court in Kano on August 10 after he was found guilty of committing blasphemy in a song circulated via WhatsApp. He has since appealed the judgement.

In a joint statement on Monday, the UN experts called for the death sentence to be overturned and for authorities to guarantee Sharif-Aminu’s safety and due process rights while he is appealing his conviction.

“We are deeply concerned over the serious lack of due process in Mr Sharif-Aminu’s case so far, especially reports that he has been held incommunicado and that he did not have access to a lawyer during his initial trial, a trial that was not open to the public,” they said.

According to them, artistic expression of opinion and beliefs, through songs or other media – including those seen to offend religious sensibilities – is protected in accordance with international law.

“The criminalisation of these expressions is unlawful. Music is not a crime,” the experts said.

Special rapporteur on cultural rights Karima Bennoune said: “Application of the death penalty for artistic expression or for sharing a song on the Internet is a flagrant violation of international human rights law, as well as of Nigeria’s constitution.”