Iranian Singer Tataloo Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy

Iranian singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, widely known as Tataloo, has been sentenced to death on blasphemy charges by the Supreme Court, overturning a prior five-year jail term. Reformist newspaper Etemad reported that the court reopened his case after a prosecutor’s objection, with the death sentence issued for insulting Islam’s Prophet Mohammed. The verdict is not final and remains subject to appeal.

Tataloo, a 37-year-old underground musician renowned for his fusion of rap, pop, and R&B, had been living in Istanbul since 2018 but was extradited to Iran in December 2023. He has been in detention since then, facing additional sentences, including 10 years for promoting “prostitution” and accusations of spreading anti-government propaganda and publishing “obscene content.”

Previously, Tataloo garnered attention for his controversial public persona and political ties. He met with ultra-conservative figures, including the late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, and once released a pro-nuclear program song in 2015. His sentencing marks a dramatic turn in a career that straddled both underground music and political intrigue.

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