More than four months after the arrest of Amir Baloch, a 17-year-old Sunni teenager, he remains in temporary detention and in limbo in Ward 3 of Zahedan Prison, despite the court setting bail for his release.
Iran Human Rights Society, June 15, 2025 – According to local sources, Amir Baloch, a student at the Manba’ al-Uloom religious school in Kuhwan and a resident of Oriz village in the Sarkor region of Sarbaz County, was arrested on Sunday, January 26, 2025, by plainclothes agents of the Intelligence Department without a judicial warrant and with violence.
Eyewitnesses reported that security agents arrived in Malekabad village around 11:15 AM with two vehicles and called out to Amir in front of a kebab shop. After approaching the vehicle, he was forcibly taken inside without explanation and transferred to an unknown location.
Security Agencies Block Amir Baloch’s Conditional Release
Despite the court setting a bail of 1.5 billion tomans on March 17, 2025, for the teenager’s release, security agencies continue to prevent his freedom. According to Amir’s family, security forces have conditioned his release on the cessation of political activities by some of his relatives, including his brother, uncle, and maternal uncle, and have demanded their surrender to security agencies—a condition deemed legally invalid.
The Iran Human Rights Center has expressed concern over the continued detention of this teenager and called for his immediate and unconditional release. They also consider the extralegal actions and security pressures on the family of this religious student a clear violation of citizenship rights and principles of fair trial.
The prolonged and uncertain detention of Amir Baloch, a Sunni teenager in Zahedan, reflects the growing atmosphere of repression in Iran’s marginalized regions, particularly in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. This region, one of the country’s most deprived, has long faced a combination of religious, ethnic, and economic discrimination.
Increased Pressure on Sunni Religious Activities
In recent months, Iranian security agencies have intensified efforts to control the religious and political activities of ethnic and religious minorities, particularly Sunni Baloch communities. Extralegal arrests, prolonged temporary detentions without charges, and pressure on families to curb relatives’ political activities have expanded alongside rising public protests and growing discontent across the country.
Preventing the release of a 17-year-old teenager despite official bail and conditioning his freedom on the “political silence” of his relatives not only violates individual rights but also represents an attempt to suppress dissenting voices through informal pressure on families.
In the current climate of social protests, economic crisis, and declining regime legitimacy, security agencies increasingly resort to preventive repression and targeted detentions. The arrest of Amir Baloch exemplifies this security-driven approach, aimed not only at eliminating activists but also at instilling fear in local communities.
Amir Baloch’s Detention and Limbo: A Clear Violation of Fundamental Human Rights
The detention and uncertainty surrounding Amir Baloch represent one of the most serious examples of human rights violations. Such actions not only deprive individuals of freedom but can also cause significant harm to their physical and mental health.
Relevant articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights include:
Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 9: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile.
Article 10: Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
Based on the above laws, the detention and limbo of prisoners constitute a clear violation of fundamental individual rights recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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