Iranian pop star Tataloo sentenced to death for ‘blasphemy', Iranian media report

Tattoo-covered Iranian pop star Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, better known as Tataloo, has reportedly been sentenced to death by an Iranian court after being found guilty of insulting Prophet Muhammad.

The singer, who has gained notoriety for his outspoken views and popularity among young Iranians, was reportedly convicted on charges of “sabb al-Nabi” (insulting or denying the status of the Prophet Muhammad).

Tataloo previously supported President Ibrahim Raisi during the 2017 election campaign. He also publicly expressed his backing for the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, even performing a song called 'Nuclear Energy'.

Despite his political engagements Tataloo’s appearance and behaviour have drawn criticism from some conservative factions, which led to restrictions on his artistic activities. Due to what he described as the lack of a proper concert licence, he left Iran and moved to Turkey.

After moving abroad, Tataloo continued to make headlines, including the blocking of his Instagram page due to reports of misogynistic and violent content, being detained by Turkish police for visa violations while travelling to the UK, and facing accusations of insulting Shia religious figures and promoting drug use among youth. He was also involved in a controversial relationship with Iranian actress Sahar Quraysh Shashi and publicly endorsed betting websites.

Tataloo has consistently rejected the charges against him, asserting his right to free artistic expression. However, four years ago, he was detained by Turkish police and sent back to Iran, where he was imprisoned following accusations of “encouraging citizens, especially young people, to use drugs, especially psychoactive drugs, as well as spreading corruption”.

His legal troubles continued when, after the singer had been handed a a five-year sentence, the Tehran prosecutor appealed the initial verdict. The case was reassessed by the Supreme Court, which eventually sent it back to the Tehran Provincial Criminal Court.

Despite claiming that he had no intention of disrespecting Shiite religious figures and stating his own religious beliefs, a group of Iranian media outlets reported on Sunday evening that the court had sentenced him to death.

Soon after, however, the Fars news agency, closely linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, issued a clarification, quoting an informed source who stated, “Tataloo’s final verdict has not yet been issued. He has just been subject to legal guardianship.”

Under Iranian law, Tataloo has the right to appeal this ruling, and his case will likely be reviewed once more by the Supreme Court.