Latest news with #Kurdish-Iranian
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Who is Iranian rapper Tataloo, a former President Ebrahim Raisi endorser who now faces death sentence
Iranian singer-cum-rapper Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, popularly known as Tataloo, is facing death sentence after being convicted on charges of blasphemy and 'insulting Islamic sanctities'. Tataloo, who once supported a hard-line Iranian presidential candidate, now stands out against the gray prison uniform. The court sentenced him to the death penalty in May after he was found guilty of blasphemy in January this year. The 37-year-old rapper's songs reverberated with the Islamic Republic's youth at a time when the opposition to the country's government was splintered and largely remained leaderless. His music became popular as it challenged Iran's theocracy and the hierarchy of the system. In a major turn of events in 2022, the Iranian rapper's lyrics became more political after the death of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini and the subsequent wave of nationwide protests. Amini was detained and died in state custody of Iran in relation to state-imposed religious dress in September 2022. Tataloo also appeared in videos that criticised the government. Tataloo started his music career in 2003. He is known for combining rap, pop, rhythm-and-blues and rock with Farsi lyrics. He comes from the underground genre and released his first album in 2011 which reportedly polarized the audiences. However, Tataloo never played publicly in Iran, where all the concerts are controlled by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Tataloo appeared in a 2015 music video which supported Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the controversial nuclear program of the Islamic Republic, which has concerned the West for years that it could lead to Iran developing atom bombs. In the video for 'Energy Hasteei,' or 'Nuclear Energy,' Tataloo sang 'This is our absolute right: To have an armed Persian Gulf.' He endorsed hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi in 2017 and sat with him for a television appearance as part of Raisi's failed presidential campaign against Hassan Rouhani. Raisi later became the president in 2021 but was killed in a helicopter crash in 2024. Tataloo faced legal issues in Iran in 2018 and was allowed to leave the country for Turkey, where many Persian singers and artists performed lucrative stage concerts. T he singer started hosting several live video sessions on social media and became an instant rage among the youth, along with his tattoos covering his face and body. Among the tattoos he boasted, one was an Iranian flag and another image of his mother next to a key and heart. In 2020, Instagram deactivated his account after he called for underage girls to join his 'team' for sex. The Iranian singer even acknowledged taking drugs. Tataloo's long run in music came to a halt in late 2023 when his passport expired and he was deported from Turkey. Upon his arrival in Iran, the singer was immediately taken into custody. The Iranian Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in May this year.
The Courier
20-05-2025
- The Courier
Shopkeeper sexually assaulted schoolgirl, 13, who tried to buy vape in Montrose
A shopkeeper who sexually assaulted a schoolgirl when she tried to buy a vape from him in Montrose has been placed on the sex offenders register. Salman Hssainni denied sexually assaulting and communicating indecently with the 13-year-old when she tried to buy the e-cigarette. Hssainni was working alone at the Dobry Eastern European store on Montrose's High Street on July 20 last year when the girl entered. He asked to kiss her then unzipped her top. At an earlier hearing, Forfar Sheriff Court heard Hssainni was a Kurdish-Iranian asylum seeker who lived in Angus at the time and is now residing in Glasgow. The 29-year-old stood trial, aided in the dock by an interpreter, was found guilty and placed on the sex offenders register. Hssaini's victim cannot be identified for legal reasons. She told the trial she had been with friends but went into the shop alone to purchase a vape for one of the group. 'I saw just the one male behind the counter, just sat there on their phone. 'I asked for the vape. He responded, asking to kiss me. I said: 'no, I've got a boyfriend'. 'He was like: 'Aw, your boyfriend won't find out'. 'I asked for the vape again. He started grabbing my face. 'He tried to unzip my cardi. I had nothing underneath but a bra. 'He was pointing to… my chest, my neck, just everywhere on my body, asking if he could kiss me there. 'He just kept on asking. I told him I had to get a train home. The girl continued: 'He put the vape on the counter. He was like: 'Please can I kiss you?' 'He was teasing me with my change, he was putting it in my hand and taking it out my hand. 'When he was asking to kiss me, he was pulling me forward. 'He was holding my cardi and pulling me. He was also holding my chin and pulling me closer. 'I was pulling away, leaning backwards. 'I sprinted out. I wanted to get away from the shop. I regretted going in. 'I didn't know what was going to happen to me.' The girl phoned her father and friends later entered the shop to challenge Hssainni. When police attended the next day, they were advised the CCTV cameras were 'preventative measures' rather than recording kit. The court also heard from two of the girl's friends. Hssainni, who is not the owner of the shop, denied the incident had taken place and claimed he simply refused to sell the vape to her. He told the court the girl was 'arguing and pleading' for the e-cigarette. The girl's cardigan was examined by police but no DNA was recovered from it. Sheriff Mark Thorley convicted Hssainni of two charges. He found, for sexual gratification or humiliating, distressing or alarming the 13-year-old, Hssainni directed sexual verbal communications at her and repeatedly uttered sexual remarks to her. The sheriff also found Hssainni guilty of sexually assaulting the teen and seizing her on the head, attempting to pull her towards him and repeatedly attempting to remove her upper clothing. He told Hssainni: 'I found the evidence of the young women here compelling and I accept their evidence as being both credible and reliable.' Sentencing was deferred until June 26 for the court to obtain background reports.
Memri
25-02-2025
- Business
- Memri
Kurdistan As An Energy Alternative To Iran
On February 4, 2025, the U.S. President Donald Trump restored his "maximum pressure" policy on Iran aiming to cut its oil exports to zero in order to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, neutralize Iran's terrorist network, and counter its aggressive development of missiles. [1] In order to offset a potential fall in Iranian oil exports, according to Reuters, the U.S. government pressured Iraq to allow Kurdish oil exports to restart or face sanctions alongside Iran. [2] (Source: X) Kurdistan's Natural Resources Oil reserves in Iraq are considered the world's fifth-largest proven oil reserves, with 150 billion barrels. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq holds 45 billion barrels of estimated oil reserves, almost a third of all of Iraq's crude oil reserves. In Syria, the Kurdish-held territory includes most of Syria's oil fields. According to the KRG's Ministry of Natural Resources: "The Kurdistan Region could hold as much as 200 trillion cubic feet (5.67 trillion cubic meters) of natural gas reserves, around three percent of the world's total reserves. This positions Kurdistan for a prominent role in regional and global gas markets." [3] Iran May Attack Iraqi Kurdistan Following the recent Erbil and Baghdad agreement to resume Kurdistan's oil exports, [4] Iran warned Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that it may launch airstrikes against Kurdish-Iranian opposition groups based in the Kurdish region if the security agreements between Baghdad and Tehran are not fully implemented. [5] Iran has long viewed Iraqi Kurdistan as an energy competitor, [6] in the past two years Iran and its militias in Iraq have frequently bombed major gas and oil fields in Iraqi Kurdistan, killing civilians and causing serious damage to oil and gas production. Renewed threats from Iran to directly attack Iraqi Kurdistan are targeting U.S. interests. Another factor is Iran's internal economic and political situation. Iran is economically weak and the dissatisfaction of the Iranian people is growing. The U.S. sanctions would further crumble Iran's economy, leading to anti-regime uprisings. The revenue generated by smuggling oil and unofficial trade with other countries has so far been enough to keep Iran from destabilizing, but it will not be enough to maintain a prolonged war. The faction that has historically played a major role in uprisings are the Kurds, who have frequently engaged in armed struggle against Tehran. Iran realizes that they would not have the means to maintain order if an uprising breaks out, hence they attempt to export their internal crisis to Iraq and its Kurdistan Region. Conclusion The Kurds have been instrumental partners for the United States in fighting against terrorism – more than 12,000 Kurdish fighters died fighting ISIS. The Kurdish regions are a safe haven for refugees fleeing religious and ethnic violence, especially Christian minorities. The Kurds have also been a bulwark against Iran's regional expansionism. The U.S. should incorporate the Kurdish regions in Iraq and Syria into its Middle East policy not just as partners in the fight against terrorism but as regional allies, and an important energy alternative to Iran, which will be a more stable and also cheaper alternative. Further U.S. investments in Kurdistan's energy sector, as well as military and diplomatic support for the Kurds in Syria and Iraq, would greatly help the U.S. interests in the region. *Himdad Mustafa is special advisor to MEMRI's Kurdish Studies Project. [1] February 4, 2025. [2] February 21, 2025. [3] accessed February 25, 2025. [4] February 17, 2025. [5] February 22, 2025. [6] June 14, 2022.
Express Tribune
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Iran frees journalists who exposed Mahsa Amini's death, triggering 2022 protests
Listen to article Iran's top judicial authority has pardoned two journalists who uncovered the death of a young woman in police custody that triggered nationwide protests in 2022, the judiciary's news outlet Mizan said on Tuesday. Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi had been sentenced to 13 and 12 years in prison respectively by an Iranian Revolutionary Court in October 2023 for their coverage of the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman in the custody of the morality police for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress code. 'Following the approval by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of a list of pardons that was prepared by the judiciary's head, these individuals were pardoned,' Mizan said, adding that the pardons were applied on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution. Last year, both journalists were temporarily released after 17 months in prison, and later acquitted of the charge of 'collaboration with the US' in an appeal court. Other charges such as 'colluding against national security' and 'propaganda against the regime' remained, but have now been cleared by the pardon and the journalists' judicial case is now closed. Protests that followed Amini's death led to the worst unrest in Iran since the revolution. The authorities blamed the United States for fomenting the demonstrations, which Washington denied.
Voice of America
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
Iran pardons journalists who covered woman's death that triggered protests
Iran's top judicial authority has pardoned two journalists who uncovered the death of a young woman in police custody, the judiciary's news outlet, Mizan, said Tuesday. The case triggered widespread protests in 2022. Journalists Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi had been sentenced to 12 and 13 years in prison, respectively, by an Iranian Revolutionary Court in 2023 for their coverage of the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman, died in 2022 while in the custody of Iran's morality police for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code for women. The death of the 22-year-old sparked the nationwide 'Woman Life Freedom' uprising, which in turn prompted a harsh crackdown by Iranian authorities. The pardons of the two journalists were applied on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, Mizan said. 'Following the approval by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of a list of pardons that was prepared by the judiciary's head, these individuals were pardoned,' Mizan said. Both journalists were temporarily released last year after spending 17 months behind bars and later acquitted of the charge of 'collaboration with the U.S.' in an appeals court. Other charges, such as 'colluding against national security' and 'propaganda against the regime,' remained. But the pardons mean those charges have now been cleared, and the legal cases against the journalists are now closed. The jailings of the two journalists underscores the poor state of press freedom in Iran. The country ranks among the worst jailers of journalists in the world, with at least 16 behind bars for their work as of early December 2024, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ. Iranian authorities detained at least 95 journalists in the wake of the nationwide protests following Amini's death, according to CPJ. In 2024, Iran ranked 176 out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index, where 180 shows the worst press freedom environment. Some information in this report came from Reuters.
