Amir Tatalu at a concert in Tbilisi, Georgia in 2018 / photo: Wikimedia Commons /

Shock in Iran: The most famous rapper and singer, Amir Tatalou, has been sentenced to death for blasphemy

Iranian music star and pioneer of rap music in the country, Amirhossein Maghsudlou, known as Amir Tatalo, has been sentenced to death for blasphemy, Iranian media reported.

The prosecution appealed the previous verdict against the 37-year-old rapper, singer and producer, which sentenced him to five years in prison, and the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic accepted the appeal and sentenced him to a new sentence - death, for "insulting the Prophet Muhammad", reported "The Guardian".

Tatalou is a controversial but extremely popular figure in Iran. For years, he has openly spoken out about complex social issues in Iranian society in his songs, combining rap, pop and R&B, as well as in all his public appearances, often criticizing the authorities and the rigidity of the state-religious system. On the other hand, he has also flirted with the ruling conservative structures, occasionally serving as a channel for spreading state propaganda. In 2015, Tatalou recorded a song supporting the country's controversial nuclear program, which has led to decades of sanctions by Western countries.

After being arrested several times for violating Iran's strict rules of conduct and public expression, Tatalou was denied a license to work as a musician by the Ministry of Culture in 2018. He then went to Turkey and continued his career with even greater success, organizing large concerts in Turkish cities, the kind that were not allowed in his home country until 2023.

After causing controversy in Turkey and clashing with the authorities there several times, Tatalu's passport expired in December 2023 and Turkey deported him to Iran.

In addition to the death penalty, he was additionally sentenced to ten years in prison for promoting prostitution, local media reported.

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