Ruhollah Karaki's Fight: Torture, Fabricated Charges, and Death Threats in Iran's Prisons

Ruhollah Karaki faces torture, false espionage charges, and death threats in Ahvaz prison. He exposes Iran’s unfair trials and IRGC interference.

Iran Human Rights Society, Saturday, November 29, 2025 – Ruhollah Karaki endures brutal torture and death threats as a political prisoner in Iran. Security forces arrested this architect from Andimeshk in 2021. They fabricated serious charges against him. He now battles for his life in Ahvaz’s detention centers. Karaki details his ordeal openly. He highlights psychological pressure and denied rights. Furthermore, he warns of a looming execution. His story reveals Iran’s repression of dissenters.

Sudden Arrest and Shift to Grave Charges

In his account, Ruhollah Karaki emphasizes that at the beginning of his detention, he was faced with lighter charges: “At first, I was faced with charges such as propaganda against the regime and disturbing public opinion.”

But he says that after being held in solitary confinement for two months under “mental and psychological torture and pressure,” he was suddenly faced with a list of the most serious security charges: “I was accused of publishing classified documents against the regime in favor of the People’s Mojahedin Party of Iran, membership in the People’s Mojahedin Party, collaborating with hostile states, and worst of all and most importantly, for Israel by sending location information and several other actions, including corruption on earth.”

He says bluntly: “I assure all the dear people of Iran that none of the charges are true and I have not committed any crime or wrongdoing.”

Fabricated Espionage Claims from Everyday Work

Interrogators twisted Karaki’s job files into evidence. As an architect, he calculated areas for agricultural lands. He did this for clients, friends, and acquaintances. Yet, agents spun these into spying proof. They alleged he sent locations to Israel.

Karaki calls this absurd. “The reasons for espionage and location sending were just my work files,” he says. Security officers ignored simple facts. They refused on-site checks that would clear him. “Why?” Karaki asks. “Because it would lead to my acquittal.”

Furthermore, this refusal shows deliberate malice. Agents built a case on baseless threads. They aimed to trap him in a deadly web. Karaki’s honest work became his peril. Thus, everyday tasks turned into alleged treason.

Unfair Trial: Denied Rights and IRGC Control

Karaki’s case unfolds without fairness. The entire process lacks legality, he charges. Authorities deny him basic protections. “The investigation proceeds unilaterally and illegally,” Karaki explains. “I enjoy no minimum rights under law for the accused.”

He lists key denials sharply. First, no independent lawyer aids him. Second, he cannot access his case file. Third, officials block recording his defenses. Karaki fights alone against fabricated tales. This isolation crushes hope.

IRGC agents dominate the scene. They interfere openly in trials. “Interrogators have no authority,” they told Karaki repeatedly. “We act as we want. Your lawyer can do nothing—everything lies in our hands.” Therefore, judicial independence vanishes. Security forces dictate outcomes.

Shocking Death Threats from Investigator Liraki

Karaki then points out the behavior of the investigator in the case and quotes a shocking sentence: “The investigator of Branch 13 of the Ahvaz Investigation Department, Mr. Lirki, made a definitive statement to me during the charge-explanation session: “I somehow closed your case, it doesn’t have a single line up or down; I won’t let you go until I get you a beautiful execution.”

He says that these threats have also been passed on to his family: “They even informed my family of this and said: Don’t follow him anymore, we want to execute him.”

Despite the prohibition of officers’ interference in the trial process, Karaki says: “The IRGC agents repeatedly reminded me that the interrogators have no authority, they will act however we want, and the lawyer cannot do anything wrong to you because everything is in our hands.”

Brutal Torture in Solitary Confinement

Solitary cells break spirits in Iran’s jails. Karaki endured two months there. Interrogators unleashed psychological torment daily. They isolated him completely. Mental pressure crushed his resolve.

“Under mental and psychological torture,” Karaki describes. Guards denied sleep and comfort. They hammered false confessions. Yet, Karaki resisted every ploy. He refused to betray his innocence.

Furthermore, health suffers in these voids. Karaki emerged weakened but unbroken. Torture failed to extract lies. Instead, it forged his determination. He now demands accountability for these abuses.

Violations of Universal Human Rights Standards

The report submitted on the condition of Ruhollah Karaki shows that he was deprived of basic rights and internationally recognized human rights standards during the stages of detention, interrogation, and trial.

Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Prohibition of Torture and Inhuman Treatment, Karaki has explicitly spoken of “torture and mental and psychological pressure” during solitary confinement; which is a direct violation of Article 5.

Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Prohibition of Arbitrary Detention, Arbitrary detention is defined as detention without clear reasons, sudden and fabricated changes to the charges, and threats by the interrogator.

Articles 10 and 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Right to a Fair Trial, Deprivation of an independent lawyer, lack of access to the case file, failure to record defenses, threats from the investigator, and interference from officers are all serious violations of the principles of a fair trial.

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Freedom of Thought and Expression, He has stated that he has not committed any criminal act and that his arrest was based on unsubstantiated ideological and security charges.

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – Article 14, Unfair trial, threats against the accused, lack of independence of the judiciary, and direct interference by security forces are violations of this article.

Increasing concerns about the possibility of a death sentence

Given the serious charges attributed to Ruhollah Karaki—including corruption on earth and collaboration with a hostile state—and given the direct threats from the investigator, human rights organizations have warned of the imminent risk of a death sentence being issued against him.

His statements indicate a security dossier, a lack of transparency, direct involvement of IRGC forces, and a complete elimination of the legal process; a trend that has been observed more widely in political cases in recent years. While his family is in deep concern, he ends his message by saying that his only goal is to inform about the unfair process of a case that could cost him his life.

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