Mohammad Mahdi (Kumar) Karami

Mohammad Mahdi (Kumar) Karami (November 2001 – January 7, 2023)

Mohammad Mahdi (Kumar) Karami was an Iranian karateka and participant in the 40th-day memorial ceremonies for Hadis Najafi and Parsa Rezadoust during the 2022 Iranian protests. According to the Iranian judiciary, he and 15 others were implicated in the death of a Basij member during clashes on that day. Karami was considered the primary defendant in the case. He was executed on January 7, 2023, alongside Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, another defendant, provoking widespread outrage in Iran and internationally.

Life and Family

Details about Karami’s early life and family are limited, but he was recognized as a national-level karate athlete in Iran.

Arrest and Trial

The trial of Karami and others accused in the death of Basij member Rouhollah Ajmian during the 2022 Karaj clashes took place at Branch One of the Alborz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Mousa Asif-Al-Hosseini. Karami was named the primary defendant.

Karami reported suffering physical, sexual, and psychological torture in prison. During his arrest, he was beaten unconscious, and security officers initially believed he had died, leaving him near Nazarabad courthouse. They later realized he was alive. Karami also reported that officers touched his genitals and threatened sexual assault.

Lawyer Mohammad Hossein Aghasi stated that the court rejected Karami’s appeal and did not accept legal representation. Karami’s parents requested his lawyer to represent him, but the trial and sentencing proceeded without counsel. Karami’s father, Mashallah Karami, criticized the lack of access to a lawyer and stated that his son denied the charges during a phone call.

Karami was executed on the morning of January 7, 2023.

Nationwide Protests during the 40th-Day Memorial

During the 40th-day memorial for Karami and Hosseini, Iranians across cities such as Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj, and Sanandaj took to the streets on the evening of February 16, 2023, to protest the Iranian government.

Reactions

Before Execution: Helge Limburg, a member of the Bundestag, took political sponsorship for Karami, calling his execution “the death of justice” in a tweet. He also submitted a letter at the Iranian embassy in Berlin. Clementine Autain, a French parliamentarian, and Ardalan Shakarabi, a Swedish MP, also assumed political sponsorship. Karami’s parents released a video pleading for the execution to be canceled, highlighting his achievements as a national-level karate champion. Hamideh Abbasi, an Iranian and world karate champion, called on fellow karate athletes and the national federation to raise their voices, stating: “He is one of us, at least let’s be our own voice.”