Court Orders Seizure of Mashallah Karami's Assets; Lawyers Request In-Person Hearing for Appeal

Iranian media reported on Tuesday, August 13, the issuance of a revolutionary court ruling to seize the assets of Mashallah Karami and the request of his defense lawyers for an in-person hearing regarding his security charges. Mashallah Karami is the father of Mohammad Mehdi Karami, an athlete and protester executed by the Islamic Republic. Mohammad Mehdi Karami was arrested during the nationwide protests of 2022 after participating in the memorial ceremony for Hadith Najafi and Parsa Razdoust, two deceased protesters, and was executed at dawn on January 7 along with Mohammad Hosseini in the case known as the 'murder of Basij member Rouhollah Ajamian.' This father seeking justice was arrested by the Iranian government forces on August 22, 2023. Security agents confiscated all electronic devices and blocked the family's bank cards. Mashallah Karami's lawyer, referring to the latest status of his case, told Shargh Network, 'The second branch of the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Mr. Karami to a total of 6 years in prison for charges of assembly and collusion (5 years) and propaganda against the regime (1 year).' Ali Sharifzadeh Arakani added, 'We have appealed the issued ruling, and the case has been referred to the 12th branch of the Alborz Court of Appeals for review and opinion, but the result of this case has not yet been announced. Lawyers for all parties in this case have requested the Court of Appeals to hold an in-person session with all parties involved.' He noted, 'The charges attributed to Mr. Karami do not correspond to his actions, and the material and moral elements of the crime have not been realized. Mr. Karami has been in prison since August of last year and has fallen ill while incarcerated. Our request is for a positive review of Mr. Karami's case, and we hope for an acquittal.' In another part of his statements, Mashallah Karami's lawyer announced the issuance of a ruling for the seizure of his client's assets due to security charges, stating, 'The Revolutionary Court has ordered the seizure of Mr. Karami's assets, including a residential house in Takab County and a Dena car, claiming that these assets were used in the commission of the crime, whereas these assets have no role in the charges of assembly, collusion, and propaganda against the regime.' Sharifzadeh added, 'A case regarding these assets has been formed in the 102nd branch of the criminal court with charges of acquiring illegitimate wealth and money laundering. The court hearing for this charge was held in April, but the result and ruling of this court have not yet been announced. Therefore, the ruling of the Revolutionary Court is inconsistent with the laws, and we hope the Court of Appeals pays special attention to this matter.' This lawyer also spoke about how Mashallah Karami acquired these assets, saying, 'These assets were purchased through public donations or gifts. People donated these assets to help Mr. Karami, who was engaged in manual labor, with good intentions.' Mashallah Karami currently has a sick child at home, and his wife is also suffering from illness. Government pressure on the families of those seeking justice continues; Maryam Mehrabi has been sentenced to six years in prison, and the pressure on the seekers of justice continues with the summoning of Abolfazl Adinehzadeh's father and Mashallah Karami's deprivation of medical rights in prison. The pressure on the families of those seeking justice continues; Maryam Mehrabi is on hunger strike in prison, and a billion-toman bail has been set for Rana Korkor. Following the conviction of Mashallah Karami, his former lawyer in his justice-seeking case was also sentenced to imprisonment. Mashallah Karami, the father seeking justice, was sentenced to 6 years in prison and asset seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Court. Manoochehr Bakhtiari was sentenced to an additional 13 months and 15 days in prison following 'case fabrication in prison.'