In January 2023, 22-year-old Kurdish protester Mohammad Mehdi Karami was executed in Iran after what observers called a sham trial. Karami, a national karate champion, was arrested during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests and accused of killing a member of the Basij paramilitary.
His trial lasted less than 15 minutes. He was denied the right to choose his own lawyer, and his court-appointed lawyer offered no real defence. Instead, Karami was shown on state-released video visibly distressed as he gave a forced confession, which he later said was made under torture.
Karami’s father, a street vendor, publicly appealed for justice, saying his son was innocent and had called home in tears when he was sentenced to death. Independent accounts from activists alleged that Karami was beaten unconscious in custody and threatened with sexual assault during interrogations.
Alongside Karami, another man — 39-year-old volunteer coach Seyed Mohammad Hosseini — was also executed after similar torture and an unfair trial. Hosseini’s lawyer later confirmed that all of his client’s confessions were obtained through abuse and intimidation.
The executions were part of Iran’s campaign of fear following the protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death in September 2022, with dozens facing death sentences and hundreds killed in crackdowns.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-64302726
