Issuance of death sentence to "Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo", nicknamed "Tatloo", on charges of "slandering the Prophet"

The death sentence for "Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo", nicknamed "Tatloo", was issued by the Tehran Criminal Court on charges of "slandering the Prophet".

Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, nicknamed Tatalo, was a singer living in Turkey who was arrested due to numerous private complaints and handed over to the authorities of the Islamic Republic at the Bazargan border in the fall of 1402. He was previously arrested by the Turkish police at the request of the Islamic Republic's police force, and Iranian police officials had announced that they were taking the necessary steps to transfer him to Iran; however, after a week, not only was he not transferred to Iran, but he was also released by the Turkish police.

Ahmad Nourian, a spokesman for the Iranian police force, said in an interview with the Young Journalists Club in 2019: "Due to a legal case that was filed against Tataloo in Iran, an Interpol red notice was issued for this individual and he was arrested in Turkey."

Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo was sentenced to five years in prison by Branch 9 of Tehran's Criminal Court No. 1 in a case on charges of "insulting sacred places." This verdict was appealed by the Tehran prosecutor, and after being overturned by the Supreme Court, it was sent to the same branch.

He was also sentenced to 10 years in prison in another case on charges of "encouraging corruption and prostitution" by Judge Iman Afshari, head of Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court. He is currently serving his sentence in the Greater Tehran Prison.

In January of last year (1403), the newspaper "Jam Jam" published a news item in which it wrote about the death sentence being issued to Tataloo on charges of "insulting the Prophet." Minutes after the news was published, the news was denied by the Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Tataloo's lawyers, Elham Rahimifar and Majid Naghshi, wrote a letter to Shiite religious authorities in March 1403, expressing their concern about the accusations against their client and requesting that their opinion could lead to a resolution of the case. Tataloo's lawyers wrote in the letter: "Despite the acquittal in the first stage of the investigation into the accusation of insulting the Prophet, we have encountered extra-legal strictures, and the opinion of the religious authorities could be crucial in resolving this case."

"Asghar Jahangir," spokesman for the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, confirmed the news in a press conference on Thursday, April 18, and announced: "Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, nicknamed Tatalo, has been sentenced to death by the Sixth Branch of the Tehran Criminal Court, and his sentence is being reviewed by the Supreme Court after an appeal. The death sentence was issued on charges of blasphemy (insulting the Prophet and the sanctities of Muslims) and based on Article 262 of the Islamic Penal Code enacted in 2013 and Article 513 of the Islamic Penal Code."

He also added about the appeal of this verdict: "Maqsudlu has filed an appeal against the issuance of this verdict, but the finality or reversal of the death sentence has not yet been announced, and we are waiting for the results of the Supreme Court to be announced, and then the necessary information will be provided. Therefore, any information in this regard before the Supreme Court announces its opinion is not approved."