Omid Fathi, a civil activist and dissenting citizen residing in Mashhad, was violently arrested by security forces without a judicial warrant on the morning of June 2, 2025, and taken to an unknown location.
Iran Human Rights Society, June 3, 2025 – On the morning of Tuesday, June 2, 2025, Omid Fathi, a civil activist and critic of the regime, was arrested in Mashhad by security forces. The arrest involved a violent raid on his home, without a judicial warrant, and included a thorough search of his residence. According to informed sources, he was not even given the opportunity to put on proper clothing, and his mobile phone was confiscated by the authorities. Sources close to Fathi’s family and acquaintances have confirmed that, as of the time of this report, no information is available regarding his whereabouts, and security authorities have prevented him from accessing a lawyer or contacting his family.
Fathi’s arrest comes after he was summoned by phone to the Shandiz Intelligence Agency in February 2025. At that time, security forces warned him about his peaceful activities on social media and threatened to open a judicial case against him. Fathi, who was also detained during the 2022 nationwide protests, is known as a civil figure who outspokenly, yet nonviolently, criticizes oppression and repression. His repeated arrests and deprivation of basic due process rights are a clear example of the suppression of independent activists in Iran.
Omid Fathi, the Voice of Justice from a Carpenter’s Workshop
Omid Fathi is neither a politician nor a well-known intellectual. He is a carpenter—a man with calloused hands who is deeply committed to freedom and justice. Dr. Hassan Bagherinia, a writer and university lecturer, wrote about him:
“He is an honorable, courageous, and profoundly responsible individual… Omid is the voice of the downtrodden, someone who speaks candidly and boldly about corruption, repression, and injustice. His anger is moral, not blind emotion. Such moral anger brings responsibility—upon us, who must not remain silent in the face of his suppression.”
This note, widely shared on social media, gained significant attention and became a testament to Fathi’s human character—a man who, despite lacking an official platform, has a resounding voice in exposing injustice.
Silence Equals Complicity in Repression
Omid Fathi’s repeated arrest is a warning to all those who hope for a future free from repression. While the regime’s propaganda apparatus strives to silence independent activists, repeated arrests and the creation of an atmosphere of fear and intimidation only fuel public anger. Suppressing voices like Omid Fathi’s is not a sign of the regime’s strength but rather an indication of its fear of a people who no longer choose silence. Despite psychological torture, threats, and successive arrests, Fathi remains standing—not as an individual, but as a symbol of thousands of citizens who, though silenced, look to him.
Human Rights Violations: Specific Cases
The arrest and detention of Omid Fathi without informing his family, providing access to a lawyer, or presenting legal charges clearly violate several articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR):
Article 9 – Right to Liberty and Security of Person
This article stipulates that no individual should be arbitrarily arrested or detained. Fathi’s arrest without a judicial warrant and without informing his family violates this principle.
Article 10 – Humane Treatment of Detainees
The violent conduct of the authorities during the arrest, preventing him from wearing appropriate clothing, and holding him in an unknown location contravene the requirements for treating detainees with human dignity.
Article 14 – Right to a Fair Trial
Denying access to a lawyer, contact with family, and information about charges constitutes a clear violation of the right to defense and a fair trial.
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