Brother of death row political prisoner Rouhollah Karki detained in Mashhad, whereabouts unknown

Hengaw – Saturday, July 11, 2026

Kamin Karki, the brother of political prisoner Rouhollah Karki, who is under a death sentence, has been detained by Iranian security forces in Mashhad.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Karki, a 34-year-old Lor man originally from Andimeshk and residing in Tehran, was arrested in Mashhad on July 3, 2026, and taken to an undisclosed location.

Eight days after his arrest, Karki has been denied telephone contact and family visits, raising concerns among his relatives. Hengaw has learned that a notice was issued through Iran’s electronic judicial notification system on July 10, indicating that his case had been referred to Branch 257 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Mashhad. The charges against him had not been disclosed at the time of publication.

Karki is the brother of Rouhollah Karki, a political prisoner sentenced to death, and Amin Karki, who was detained during protests in late 2018. Amin Karki died under unclear and suspicious circumstances in April 2019 while being held in the quarantine ward of a prison or detention facility shortly after being rearrested by security forces.