Mohammad Mehdi Karami was a 21-year-old Kurdish-Iranian karate champion from Karaj. He joined the nationwide protests that began after the death of Mahsa (Jîna) Amini, standing up for freedom, women’s rights, and justice. In November 2022, he was arrested during demonstrations and accused of killing a Basij (paramilitary) member — a claim that both his family and witnesses said was completely false.
Karami was beaten, tortured, and forced to confess while in custody. He was denied access to his lawyer, and his trial before Iran’s Revolutionary Court lasted less than 15 minutes. Despite global protests and appeals from international human rights groups, the regime executed him on 7 January 2023.
His death symbolised the regime’s cruelty toward young protesters, especially Kurdish activists. As a Kurdish man and national sports champion, Karami’s execution showed that no one — not even the innocent — is safe from a government that fears its own people’s voices.
