Mashallah Karami

Age: 52
Activism/rights:  Justice-seeking family
Status: Released on bail
Judicial status: 3 years and 7 months’ imprisonment
Violations: Arbitrary arrest and detention; lack of a fair trial and due process; denial of access to a lawyer; denial of medical care; denial of prison leave; prolonged solitary confinement; harassment of family members; unlawful confiscation of property

Mashallah Karami is a Kurdish street vendor and the father of Mohammad Mehdi Karami, a "Woman, Life, Freedom" protester who was arrested for participating in the 40th day memorial service for slain protester Hadis Najafi and executed in January 2023. In remembrance of his son, Karami prepared and distributed food to people in need through his personal Instagram page. He also supported other justice-seeking families by visiting the graves of those killed during the protests. Mashallah was arrested at his home on 22 August 2023, the eve of the anniversary of those killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom”. All electronic devices, bank cards, and mobile phones belonging to the famil were also confiscated. His lawyer, Amirhossein Kouhkan, was also arrested while attempting to follow up on the case. Mashallah was transferred to Karaj Penitentiary after being held in solitary confinement for three months. His wife and other son were also forced to leave their home due to sustained pressure and repeated raids by security forces. Security forces also smashed Mohammad Mehdi’s sports medals and commemorative plaques, burned his clothing and destroyed the greenery the family had planted around his grave.

In May 2024, Branch 2 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Mashallah to five years’ imprisonment on the charge of “acquiring property through illegitimate means”, one year’s imprisonment for “propaganda against the system”, and ordered the confiscation of his property. In September 2024, the Alborz Province Court of Appeal reduced the five-year sentence to three years and seven months and the one-year sentence to eight months. The order for confiscation of property was upheld.

In a separate case, on 16 August 2024, Branch 102 of Criminal Court II in Nazarabad sentenced Mashallah to seven years and eight months’ imprisonment, a fine and confiscation of property on the charge of “money laundering”, and to 14 months’ imprisonment on the charge of “acquiring property through illegitimate means”. All three punishments were imposed as the most severe penalties. However, his lawyer, Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani stated that the funds and property in question had been donated by members of the public to support him and that there was no private complainant in relation to these payments.

On appeal, the two charges of money laundering and acquiring property through illegitimate means were merged into a single charge titled “acquiring property deemed illegitimate”. The sentence of eight years and ten months’ imprisonment was overturned and reduced to one year’s imprisonment, and both the fine and the confiscation of property were annulled.

In August 2025, Shahla Orouji, Mashallah's lawyer, reported that his appeal had been rejected for the second time.¹³² Following the consolidation of his cases, Mashallah's prison term was reduced to three years and seven months. He was conditionally released from Karaj Penitentiary in February 2026.