Investigator Claims: Tatloo Has Written a Repentance Letter, Wants to Start a Family

Ten days after the first court session of Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, the singer known as "Amir Tatloo," the investigator of his case claimed that "Tatloo has written a repentance letter" and "wants to get married and start a family after serving his sentence like many young people." Vahid Naseri, the investigator, did not mention the possible punishment for Mr. Tatloo. In an interview with Jam-e Jam newspaper, published in Tehran, he claimed that Tatloo "talked about his uncertainty in Turkey during his sessions and said he missed his family. This is what led him to return to Iran voluntarily." Naseri stated that Tatloo wants to "have children and continue music in the right way." The first court session for Amir Tatloo was held last week with the reading of the indictment in Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran. State media did not refer to the charges against him. The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary of the Islamic Republic, reported on Tuesday, March 5, that the court session "ended after the reading of the indictment to prepare the defendant and the lawyer." Details of the court proceedings, the charges against this pop singer, and what was mentioned in the indictment have not been disclosed by state media, but it has been reported that Tatloo's mother and sister attended the court and met with him. The session also included the "court advisor, the defendant's lawyer, and the prosecutor's representative," and the date for the next court session has not yet been announced. In previous days, the legal advisory group of Dadban warned that given the "legal jurisdiction of the Islamic Revolutionary Courts and Prosecutor's Offices" and based on the charges against Tatloo, "it seems that the Tehran Prosecutor's Office has attributed the charge of corruption on earth to this singer." Previously, the state-run IRIB news agency claimed that "one of the most important actions" of Amir Tatloo was "the spread of corruption and prostitution" and calling for the presence of minors under 18 at his residence in Istanbul. The Mehr news agency also claimed that Tatloo confessed during interrogation to committing what has been described as "anti-cultural and obscene actions, especially using immoral and sexual issues to gain more visibility." Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, known as "Tatloo," was handed over to the Islamic Republic authorities by Turkish police at the Bazargan border with Iran on December 6 and was transferred to Tehran under judicial order after his arrest. The spokesperson for the judiciary also previously stated that several cases have been opened against Amir Tatloo that are currently under investigation. It is unclear whether this imprisoned singer has had access to a lawyer and legal advisor after his arrest, but according to previous similar reports and statements from international human rights organizations, the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic prevent detainees from accessing a chosen lawyer at this stage. Qasem Baadi, a lawyer, previously told Voice of America that given the history of the Islamic Republic's judiciary, "a fair trial is not in store for Tatloo." Shahla Shafigh, a sociologist, in an interview with Voice of America, described Tatloo as a product of a society where "forbidden love and assault" are legitimate.