Rapper Prayer (Amir Hossin Maghsoudo)
O Iranian rapper Prayinga star with tattoos on the face whose full name is Amir Hossein Maghsoudloofaces a death sentence after being convicted of accusations of “insulting Islamic sanities.”
It is a seemingly unexpected situation for those who have already supported a hard line candidate in the country’s presidential elections, note o.
Tataloo’s music became popular among the youth of the Islamic Republic, because challenged Iran’s theocracy At a time when opposition to the country’s government was fragmented and widely without leadership.
The letters of the tattooed rapper became becoming increasingly political after the death of in 2022 and the subsequent throughout the country. Tataloo also appeared in music videos that criticized the authorities.
“When you show your face in a musical video, you are saying: Hey, I’m hereand I don’t care about your restrictions. That was brave“Ali Hamedani, a former BBC journalist who interviewed the rapper in 2005.
Tataloo’s courage ended up having a high price. Last month, the Iranian Supreme Court confirmed his death sentence. “This decision has now been confirmed and is ready for execution,” the court spokesman told reporters, Asghar jahangirat a press conference.
Tataloo began his musical career in 2003, with an underground genre of Iranian music that Combines western styles of rap, rhythm-and-blues and rock com Letters in Farsi.
Your first album, released in 2011, polarized the Iraniansalthough it has never worked in public in Iran, where the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Controls all concerts.
Em 2015, praying appeared in a music-video to support the revolutionary guard paramilitary of Iran and the Nuclear Program of Teerãowhich is a long -time West due to fears that the country can.
Although it never revealed its motivation to take this position, it seemed that the rapper expected win the favor of Iranian theocracy “Or maybe get a travel ban against him to be raised.”
In “” (“nuclear energy”), Tataloo sings a ballad of power in front of rifle -armed guards, and aboard the Iranian frigate Damavand – who later sank during a storm in 2018. “This is our absolute right: have an armed Persian Gulf“, Sing or rapper.
Tataloo even supported Ebrahim raisi in his 2017 presidential campaign, which the ultra-conservative cleric lost to the moderate Hassan Rouhani. Raisi would end in 2021, but would come the helicopter in 2024.
In 2018, Tataloo, who faced legal problems in Iran, was allowed to leave the country and Radaded in Türkiyewhere many Persian singers and artists perform profitable concerts.
The Iranian rapper, who gained fame on social networks, became known for the tattoos that cover the face and bodyincluding an Iranian flag and an image of the Mother next to a key and a heart.
Instagram disabled your account in 2020, after appealing to girls minors who joined their “team” for sex.
“Despite being controversial, Tataloo has a considerable fan base in Iran, known as ‘tactalities’, ”says Holly Dagresresearcher at the Washington Institute for Near-East Policy. “Over the years, they have flooded social networks with messages of solidarity and They even campaigned for the rapper’s release“.
Tataloo rebel music sensitized in particular the disadvantaged young From Iran, who fight to find work, marry and start adulthood.
In its lyrics, the rapper has begun in recent years to challenge more and more Iranparticularly after the death of Mahsa Amini, when she was detained for not using hijab as intended by the authorities.
His collaboration “” (“Revolution of Peace” in Farsi) mentions by name the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “We do not want tear gas, because There are tears in everyone’s eyes“, Canta praying.
Tataloo’s career ended in 2013 as his passport expired. The musician was deported from Türkiye and immediately detained upon arrival at Iran.
The rapper, who already faced ten years in prison by a series of separate convictions, including promotion of prostitution and moral corruption, it was initially condemned by blasphemy by the Criminal Court of Tehran, who sentenced him the most 5 years in prison.
However, the Iranian Supreme Court annulled the decision and sent your case to another court – which in January would eventually condemn you to death.
In one of the judgments, Tataloo expressed his regret. “I certainly made mistakes, and Many of my actions were wrong. I apologize for the mistakes I made, ”said the musician, quoted by the state newspaper Jam-e Jam.
According to some reports, Tataloo, who in the meantime married when he was already in the corridor of death, will have tried to commit suicidebut survived.
Your death sentence arises in a politically tense moment for Iranwhich is “more isolated than ever,” says Abbas Milaniexpert in Iran at Stanford University.
According to the analyst, the Islamic Republic, who recently gave an unexpected sign of moderation to, is “desperately trying to see if reaches an agreement with the USA about your nuclear program and get the sanctions are raised“.
Like this, “attracting the wrath of Tataloo fans is a headache They don’t need to, ”concludes Milani.
