Detention Of Father Of Executed Iranian Protester Sparks Concerns

Mashallah Karami, the father of executed protester Mohammad Mehdi Karami
Mashallah Karami, the father of executed protester Mohammad Mehdi Karami

Mashallah Karami, the father of Mohammad Mehdi Karami, an Iranian protester who was executed, has been in detention for more than 50 days with no news on the charges against him.

The Iranian judiciary has refrained from issuing any official statements regarding the reasons behind his arrest. Unofficial reports suggest that Amir Hossein Kouhkan, the attorney representing the Karami family, was detained alongside him, exposed to harsh conditions, and even contemplated self-harm while in custody.

In recent days, social media users have rallied around the hashtag #MashallahKarami to shed light on his unjust detention. Legal professionals have also voiced their concerns regarding Kouhkan's arrest.

Siyamak Azami, the brother of Sepehr Azami, one of the protesters who lost their lives during the nationwide demonstrations in 2021, took to the social media platform X to disclose that both Mashallah Karami and Kouhkan are being held "in a cramped eight-square-meter cell," facing "multiple charges."

Azami further revealed that the Karaj prosecutor suggested they remain in solitary confinement until they admit guilt, fueling concerns they, like so many others, will be driven to forced confessions on trumped up charges.

The legal organization Dadban, which provides legal assistance to families of protesters and detainees in Iran, released a video featuring Karami at his son's gravesite, writing, "His crime was advocating for justice and visiting his son's grave."

Mashallah Karami was arrested in August when forces raided his home. He and several other family members were arrested as well as having confiscated all their electronic devices, including laptops and mobile phones.

Mohammad Mehdi Karami was executed on January 7, along with protester Mohammad Hosseini for participating in protests and allegedly being involved in the killing of Ruhollah Ajamian, a Basij member present at the 40th-day memorial ceremony for Hadis Najafi, another victim of anti-regime protests in Karaj.