Iran Sentences Singer To Death
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Iranian singer and rapper Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, widely known as Amir Tataloo, has been sentenced to death for blasphemy against Islam, Iranian officials said Monday.
The 37-year-old artist, a prominent figure in the country’s underground hip-hop scene, initially received a five-year prison sentence for allegedly insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Worthy News learned.
However, trial observers said the case reopened after the prosecutor appealed, leading to a harsher sentence on appeal.
Tataloo, whose body is almost entirely covered in tattoos, is known for his outspoken criticism of Iran’s strict Islamic leadership.
Through his music and social media platforms, he has regularly condemned Tehran’s reported human rights abuses.
His controversial statements and what authorities view as his “defiance of strict cultural norms” made him popular in Iran’s music scene but a target of Islamic authorities.
Tataloo is am among several people being prosecuted for blasphemy, including Christians.
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