Fate of Executed Iranian Protester’s Father Undecided, Months After Arrest

The father of Mohammad Mehdi Karami, a 21-year-old Iranian-Kurdish man who was executed for his participation in the 2022 uprising, has been languishing in prison for more than five months.

Mashallah Karami “is still detained in Ward 15 of Karaj Central Prison, despite 164 days having passed since his arrest,” an informed source close to the family told the HRANA human rights website.

"He has not been granted temporary release so far," the source added.

Mohammad Mehdi Karami was sentenced to death in December 2022 over his alleged involvement in the death of a member of the Basij paramilitary force during an anti-government demonstration. The young man was executed the next month.

His father was detained on August 22 last year during a raid by security forces at his residence. The authorities confiscated the family’s electronic devices and blocked their bank cards. 

Mashallah Karami was transferred from the Intelligence Department's detention center in Karaj to prison on October 28, and Branch 11 of the Karaj Public and Revolution Prosecutor's Office charged him in November with "membership in banned groups, propaganda against the Islamic Republic, insulting religious symbols, and disrupting national security."

His relatives have reportedly been pressured to remain silent about his arrest. They also face restrictions on phone calls and their movements.