As of August 27, 2024, Baloch prisoner Omid Kashani has been held in detention for over 400 days without formal charges or a trial. Kashani, a 21-year-old resident of Zahedan in southeast Iran, was arrested on July 19, 2023, after security forces raided his home on Forough Street in Zahedan. Despite the lengthy period of detention, Kashani remains in a state of legal limbo, with no clear charges brought against him.
During his imprisonment in Sections 209 and 1 of Zahedan Central Prison, Kashani has reportedly been subjected to both physical and psychological torture in an effort to coerce him into making false confessions. The security forces who arrested him also seized his brother’s car, adding to the family’s distress.
Kashani’s case highlights the ongoing issues of arbitrary detention and the use of torture in Iran’s judicial and prison systems. His family has yet to receive any clear information from the security and judicial authorities in Sistan and Baluchestan Province regarding the accusations against him, leaving them in a prolonged state of uncertainty and fear for his well-being.
These cases represent just a few of the ongoing human rights violations occurring within Iran’s prison system, where political prisoners and ethnic minorities often face severe mistreatment and a lack of due process.
