Karim Asghari, brother-in-law of Verisheh Moradi, detained in violent raid
Hengaw – Sunday, June 8, 2025
Karim Asghari, a former political prisoner and the brother-in-law of Verisheh Moradi—a Kurdish political prisoner sentenced to death—was violently arrested by agents of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence in the city of Shuyesheh, near Sanandaj (Sna), and taken to an undisclosed location.
According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Sunday, June 8, 2025, security forces stormed Asghari’s shop in Shuyesheh, used physical force during the arrest, and transferred him to an undisclosed location.
The Free Verisheh Moradi Campaign reported that Ministry agents raided the shop and used excessive force during the arrest. When Mehraneh Moradi—Asghari’s wife and Verisheh’s sister—arrived at the scene, she was also threatened by intelligence officers.
This is not the first time Asghari has faced pressure from authorities. On a previous occasion, he was temporarily detained by plainclothes agents after attempting to follow up on Verisheh Moradi’s medical condition and her denial of family visits at Evin Prison. He was interrogated for three hours inside a vehicle and warned not to disclose any information. Authorities explicitly threatened severe consequences if the case received media attention.
Asghari was also previously arrested by IRGC Intelligence forces in Sanandaj on November 14, 2018.
His wife, Mehraneh Moradi, a teacher and veteran Kung Fu practitioner, was arrested by IRGC Intelligence on September 26, 2018. She was held for 40 days and released on bail of 200 million toman.
Since Verisheh Moradi’s arrest, her family members—particularly Mehraneh Moradi and Karim Asghari—have been subjected to mounting security pressure. They have been repeatedly summoned to the Sanandaj Intelligence Office and threatened with further detentions.
Verisheh Moradi, a women’s rights activist and member of KJAR (Community of Free Women of Eastern Kurdistan), was abducted on August 1, 2023, by Ministry of Intelligence forces while traveling from Mariwan to Sanandaj. During the abduction, she was severely beaten and transferred to a detention facility without access to medical care. She has since been sentenced to death.
