Iranian Singer Tataloo Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy

An Iranian court has sentenced popular singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, known as Tataloo, to death on appeal after being convicted of blasphemy, according to local media reports on Sunday.

Reformist newspaper Etemad reported that the Supreme Court accepted a prosecutor’s objection to Tataloo’s previous five-year jail term for blasphemy and other offenses. Upon reopening the case, the court sentenced him to death for “insulting the prophet,” referring to Prophet Mohammed.

The verdict, however, is not final and can still be appealed.

The 37-year-old musician, who had been living in Istanbul since 2018, was extradited to Iran in December 2023 by Turkish authorities.

In addition to the blasphemy charges, Tataloo was sentenced to 10 years for promoting “prostitution” and was also accused in other cases of disseminating “propaganda” against the Islamic Republic and publishing “obscene content.”

Known for blending rap, pop, and R&B, the heavily tattooed artist was previously a controversial figure in Iran. Despite his rebellious image, conservative politicians had once courted him to appeal to the country’s youth.

In 2017, Tataloo even participated in a televised meeting with the ultra-conservative Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who later died in a helicopter crash.