Iranian Court Sentences Pop Star Tataloo to Death for Blasphemy, Judiciary Denies Issuing Verdict

An Iranian court has reportedly sentenced Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, known as Tataloo, to death for blasphemy, according to local media.

However, Iran’s Judiciary has dismissed these reports, stating that no final verdict has been issued yet.

The 37-year-old musician, known for his distinctive tattoos and his fusion of rap, pop, and R&B, has been no stranger to controversy. He has faced multiple charges, including promoting "prostitution," disseminating "propaganda" against the Islamic Republic, and publishing "obscene content."

AFP

Reports first surfaced in the reformist newspaper Etemad, which stated, “The supreme court accepted the prosecutor’s objection” to Tataloo’s earlier five-year sentence.

The court reopened the case, leading to a reported death sentence for "insulting the prophet," referring to Islam’s prophet Muhammad. The report noted that the verdict could still be appealed.

On the same day, the Judiciary's media office refuted these claims, calling the death sentence report premature. It clarified that Tataloo had become eligible for legal leniency under restorative justice provisions.

“Leniency provisions, or legal reprieves, are measures outlined in criminal law to assist convicts in line with the restorative justice approach,” the Judiciary said.

The blasphemy charge had reportedly been overturned and referred to a parallel court after the prosecutor objected to the earlier verdict issued by the Ninth Branch of the Criminal Court.

Tataloo, who was extradited to Iran by Turkish authorities in December 2023, had been living in Istanbul since 2018 to avoid legal troubles in Iran. Upon his return, he was detained and subsequently faced multiple trials starting in March 2024, which resulted in several prison sentences.

Known for blending music genres and courting controversy, Tataloo had earlier collaborated with Iranian conservative politicians seeking to engage younger audiences. In 2017, he appeared in a televised meeting with the ultra-conservative president Ebrahim Raisi, who later died in a helicopter crash in 2024.

In 2015, Tataloo made headlines by releasing a song supporting Iran’s nuclear programme, a significant moment during negotiations between Tehran and world powers.

Amir Tataloo's 2015 'pro-nuclear' song.

While media reports suggest an escalation in his legal troubles, the Judiciary maintains that the final decision in his case has not been reached, leaving Tataloo’s fate uncertain.