Iranian Singer Handed Over To Authorities After Detention In Turkey

Iranian singer Tataloo has been sent to the Islamic Republic by the Turkish authorities to face judicial charges.

The rapper whose real name is Amir-Hossein Maqsoudlou was handed over at the Bazargan border on Wednesday after being detained in Turkey, according to Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the Iranian judiciary.

He is said to have been "immediately detained on judicial orders" after a number of private complaints.

These include allegations against him from individuals under 18 and their families, accusing him of sexual assault and acts of violence.

Iran's hardliners frequently express disapproval towards artists and public figures, leading to the summons of numerous individuals on various charges including alleged violations of modesty.

Earlier, Behnam Babazadeh, a music journalist based in Iran, had reported Tataloo's detention by Turkish police following a complaint from the Consulate of the Islamic Republic in Istanbul.

Babazadeh stated that Tataloo was accused of insulting the staff of the consulate.

Four years ago, Tataloo was detained by the Turkish authorities at the request of the law enforcement forces of the Islamic Republic but released after a week. At that time, Iranian media accused him of insulting Shiite religious figures during one of his concerts.

Born in 1987 in Tehran, Tataloo rose to prominence when he started posting works on his blog in 2004. At times, he has endorsed religious values such as hijab and praised the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei . He supported Ebrahim Raisi in the presidential elections of 2017.

Tataloo's alignment with regime policy was such that Khamenei commended one of his songs titled "Nuclear Energy” – which proclaimed Iran’s right to defend itself – as having a "good melody" and "good content", adding with satisfaction that it had upset the "enemy."