IRAN: Arbitrary detention of lawyer Enayatollah Karamati amid intensified crackdown on legal professionals
26 January 2026
The International Observatory of Lawyers at Risk (OIAD) expresses its deep concern over the arbitrary detention of Mr Enayatollah Karamati, a lawyer affiliated with the Judiciary’s Legal Advisors Centre (Markaz-e Vokala-ye Ghoveh-ye Ghazaiyeh) in Mashhad. His arrest forms part of a sustained and escalating campaign of repression against lawyers in Iran, particularly those who have supported protesters and victims of human rights violations.
Mr Karamati was arrested on Saturday 20 Dey 1404 (10 January 2026) following a raid by security agents on his private residence in Mashhad. He has since been placed in temporary detention and transferred to Vakil–Abad Prison in Mashhad.
Since his arrest, no contact has been permitted with his family, and no information is available regarding his physical or psychological condition. This prolonged incommunicado detention raises serious concerns regarding his state of health and the conditions of detention to which he may be subjected, particularly given reports documenting cases of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in several prisons and detention centres in Iran[1].
To date, the authorities have failed to disclose any charges or the legal basis for Mr Karamati’s arrest. He has been denied access to legal counsel and deprived of basic procedural safeguards, in clear violation of Iran’s obligations under international human rights law.
The Observatory recalls that incommunicado detention, denial of access to family and lawyers, and the absence of judicial oversight constitute violations of Articles 9 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a State Party.
Mr Karamati has previously been targeted by the authorities for his professional activities. During the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in 2022, he was arrested for supporting protesters and detainees, prosecuted on charges of “assembly and collusion to act against national security,” and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.
In addition, the Khorasan Razavi branch of the Judiciary’s Legal Advisors Centre refused to renew Mr Karamati’s licence to practise law earlier this year, a measure that appears to constitute an administrative reprisal aimed at preventing him from continuing his professional activities.
The Observatory is gravely concerned that Mr Karamati’s current detention represents a continuation of a pattern of persecution and retaliation against him for his peaceful exercise of his professional duties and his support for individuals targeted in connection with protests.
The Observatory strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of Mr Enayatollah Karamati, the absence of information regarding his health and legal status, and the apparent reprisals against him for his past and present professional activities.
The Observatory recalls Article 16 of UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (Havana Principles) and calls on the Iranian authorities to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release Mr Enayatollah Karamati.
- Immediately disclose his place of detention, legal status, and any charges brought against him.
- Guarantee his physical and psychological integrity and provide immediate information regarding his health.
- Ensure his immediate and confidential access to a lawyer of his choice and allow regular communication with his family.
- Ensure that any legal proceedings strictly comply with international fair trial standards and the presumption of innocence.
- Cease all forms of harassment, reprisals, and administrative sanctions against lawyers for their legitimate professional activities.
The Observatory calls on the international community to:
- Urgently raise Mr Karamati’s case with the Iranian authorities.
- Closely monitor his detention and publicly condemn reprisals against lawyers in Iran.
- Support protection measures and international accountability mechanisms for lawyers and human rights defenders at risk in Iran.
[1] Amnesty International. (2022, 18 October). Iran: Tortured prisoners at Evin prison are in urgent need of international protection : https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/MDE1361292022ENGLISH.pdf
