An Iranian court has sentenced popular musician Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, widely known as Tataloo, to death after he was convicted of blasphemy, according to reports from local media on Sunday.
The Etemad newspaper reported that the Supreme Court overturned a previous five-year prison sentence for offenses including blasphemy. The court accepted the prosecutor’s appeal, reopening the case and handing down the death penalty for “insulting the Prophet,” referring to Prophet Mohammed.
While the ruling is severe, the report noted that the verdict is not yet final and can still be appealed.
The 37-year-old singer, who gained fame for his fusion of rap, pop, and R&B, had been living in Istanbul since 2018. Turkish authorities handed him over to Iranian officials in December 2023. Since then, Tataloo has been in detention in Iran.
In addition to the blasphemy charge, Tataloo was previously sentenced to 10 years for allegedly promoting “prostitution” and faced charges for disseminating “propaganda” against the Islamic Republic and publishing “obscene content.”
Known for his heavily tattooed appearance and unconventional music, Tataloo became a polarizing figure in Iran. Despite his liberal style, he was briefly courted by conservative politicians as a means to connect with Iran’s youth.
In 2017, he participated in a televised meeting with the ultra-conservative former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who later died in a helicopter crash.
Tataloo also stirred controversy in 2015 by releasing a song supporting Iran’s nuclear program. However, the program faced setbacks in 2018 during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The sentence has sparked widespread attention, highlighting the ongoing tension between cultural expression and the Islamic Republic’s strict interpretation of its laws. Observers now wait to see if the verdict will be upheld or successfully challenged on appeal.
