Tajroki: Tatlu Supported Raisi to Make Amends

Hamid-Reza Tajroki, a member of the Central Council of the Motalefeh Party, referred to Amir Tatlu as a person with a "special background" who decided to support Ebrahim Raisi's candidacy in the presidential elections after his "repentance." He told the Entekhab website that Tatlu's support for Raisi in the twelfth presidential election led to an increase in votes for this conservative candidate. Mr. Tajroki added that Tatlu wanted to "make amends" by announcing his support for Raisi and that he approached Raisi himself, "not that he was brought to him." This member of the Motalefeh party further stated that Tatlu insisted on meeting Raisi, and Raisi did not want to reject him, as it would not have been morally correct. According to Tajroki, Ebrahim Raisi did not need Tatlu and "begging for votes" in the elections, and "the number of votes that {Tatlu attracted for Raisi} was more than the votes that were lost." Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, known as "Tatlu," is a controversial underground singer in Iran who unexpectedly supported Raisi's candidacy during a meeting with him in the twelfth presidential election. The electoral decision of this controversial singer, who has been arrested multiple times by judicial authorities, had significant repercussions in Iranian society and, according to some, even led to a drop in Raisi's votes among religious and conservative forces. Tatlu, with millions of fans in Iran, is considered one of the most popular Iranian figures in social media. His fans, mostly teenagers, had previously posted comments on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Instagram page calling for his release following his arrest last year. In these comments, they spoke of their favorite singer's "innocence" and requested his freedom from the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor, announced last November that Amir Tatlu had been sentenced to 10 years in prison and 74 lashes. Mr. Dolatabadi stated that his charges included "encouraging youth to corruption and obscenity" and "insulting a judge." Iranian security and judicial authorities have repeatedly clashed with underground groups, arresting several underground singers and banning or restricting the activities of many of these groups. In May 2012, the head of the police's moral security emphasized the illegality of music groups operating without permits, stating that "the police will confront unauthorized singers both underground and above ground." In November 2010, the head of Tehran police reported the closure of two centers producing and distributing underground music and the arrest of individuals associated with these centers.