Ongoing Harassment of a Grieving Family; 196 Days of Uncertainty for Mashallah Karami in Karaj Prison

Human rights sources report the continued detention of Mashallah Karami, the father of executed protester Mohammad Mehdi Karami, in Karaj Central Prison and his "uncertainty" status despite more than "six months" since his arrest. According to the HRANA news agency, a source close to Mr. Karami's family stated: "Mr. Karami has been in limbo in Ward 15 of Karaj Central Prison for 196 days since his arrest." The source added that efforts for his "temporary release" have so far been unsuccessful. Mashallah Karami is the father and advocate of Mohammad Mehdi Karami, a sportsman and protester executed by the Islamic Republic. Mohammad Mehdi Karami was arrested during last year's nationwide protests following his participation in the memorial for Hadis Najafi and Parsa Razadoust, two deceased protesters, and was executed on January 7 along with Mohammad Hosseini in the case known as the "murder of Basij member Rouhollah Ajamian." Mashallah Karami was arrested on August 22 by the security forces of the Islamic Republic. Security agents confiscated all electronic devices and blocked the family's bank cards. During the detention of this advocate of last year's nationwide protests, his family has repeatedly faced harassment from the Islamic Republic's security forces. In one instance, on November 3, more than 70 days after Mashallah Karami's arrest, his wife and child were forced to leave their home due to "multiple raids" by agents. According to the Telegram channel of the Committee for Following Up on the Status of Detainees, on December 20 of this year, an indictment against Mashallah Karami was issued by Branch 11 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office of Karaj, with charges including "membership in groups and associations aimed at acting against national security, propaganda against the regime, insulting the sanctities, forming a group aimed at disrupting national security, and insulting the leadership." Meanwhile, HRANA reported that since Mashallah Karami's arrest, his family has been pressured not to provide information about him. They have also faced restrictions in their daily communications and movements. Previously, the Committee for Following Up on the Status of Detainees announced that heavy pressures were being exerted on Mashallah Karami to accept charges of "fraud and exploiting people's emotions" and that there is a possibility that a video of his forced confessions may be released in the future. Helge Limburg, a member of the German Parliament from the Green Party who had taken on the political sponsorship of Mohammad Mehdi Karami, announced that he has also accepted the political sponsorship of his father and lawyer. Limburg stated in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America on October 20: "We all saw those brave images of Mehdi Karami's parents after his burial." He said: "They went to the grave of another prisoner killed by the Islamic Republic because no one was at their grave. They went to that grave and paid their respects, leaving a sign that says no one will be alone in this world or the next."