Profile of Tataloo, the Singer Sentenced to Death for Insulting Prophet Muhammad

Jakarta – Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, better known as Tataloo, an Iranian singer, has reportedly been sentenced to death by the Iranian Supreme Court.

The sentence was handed down on charges of insulting the Prophet Muhammad, as reported by local Iranian media, such as Etemad and Jame Jam, on Sunday (19/1).

Tataloo, who had served a five-year prison sentence on various charges including blasphemy, has been detained in Iran since December 2023 after being extradited from Turkey. Now, his case has been reopened at the prosecutor’s request and resulted in a death sentence after a retrial.

Nevertheless, Iranian court officials emphasized that this decision is not yet final. Tataloo still has the right to appeal the verdict.

This case extends the list of charges against Tataloo, who was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison for promoting prostitution, anti-regime propaganda, and obscene content.

Tataloo Profile

Tataloo is known as a singer who often blends elements of pop, rap, and R&B into his music. Tataloo’s career began in 2003 in a simple way, by releasing songs on his personal blog.

At that time, he was an underground musician who was not officially recognized by the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. But who would have thought, it was precisely from there that his name began to be recognized.

In fact, Time Magazine once dubbed him a rapper with a multitude of fans, while Radio Free Europe described him as having a strong fan base among Iranian youth.

Tataloo is not always on the opposing side of the Iranian government. In 2015, he released a song supporting Iran’s nuclear program, which became controversial after it was halted due to the decision of the US government during the Trump era.

In 2017, he even held a meeting with the conservative Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, who was in office at the time. Raisi then died in a helicopter crash later that same year.

However, Tataloo’s popularity among young people and the implied criticism in some of his works are considered a threat by the authorities.

Since 2018, Tataloo has been living in Istanbul, Turkey. In December 2023, he was extradited to Iran following an official request from the Iranian government.

His detention and sentencing sparked reactions from the international community, especially among human rights activists.

This case occurred amid the increasing use of the death penalty in Iran. According to a UN report, the number of judicial executions in 2024 reached 901 cases, the highest in the past nine years.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *