Iran's judiciary has sentenced the controversial rapper Amir Tataloo to several years in prison, several reports in local media said on Sunday.
A revolutionary court in the capital Tehran found the 36-year-old musician guilty of blasphemy and handed down a three-year prison sentence, the state news agency IRNA reported. The judgement can be appealed.
The web portal Mizan, which is linked to the Iranian judiciary, confirmed a prison sentence without announcing its exact length.
The rapper, who has a large following and repeatedly polarizes society with his music and appearance, was also accused of propaganda against the state on several counts, for which the death penalty can even be imposed in some cases, but the controversial musician escaped the maximum sentence.
The trial was held before a notorious revolutionary court under the arch-conservative judge Iman Afshari, who is known for particularly harsh judgements and has already been subject to international sanctions.
Tataloo, whose real name is Amirhossein Maghsoudloo, is one of the most colourful personalities on the Iranian hip-hop scene.
He lived in exile in Turkey for several year but was transferred to Iran by Turkish authorities at the beginning of December.
Tataloo's works are not officially permitted in the Islamic Republic of Iran as he does not have the necessary authorization from the Ministry of Culture. The authorities consider his music too Western and immoral. Nevertheless, critics have repeatedly accused him of being close to the Islamic Republic's system.
The biggest controversy surrounding Tataloo was triggered in 2020 when he publicly asked underage fans online to join his "harem." According to the British-based portal Iranwire, his Instagram account was blocked as a result.