Enforced Disappearance of 18-Year-Old Abolfazl Ghasemi Amoudizej Since the January 2026 Protests
12-February-2026
Category: Arrests
11 February 2026
News category: Arrest
Breathing in Confinement – Abolfazl Ghasemi Amoudizej, an 18-year-old teenager from Tabriz, has been subjected to enforced disappearance for more than one month since the January 2026 protests. To date, no official information has been provided regarding his place of detention or his physical condition.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Abolfazl Ghasemi Amoudizej, who was present during the popular protests in Tabriz, has remained in a state of enforced disappearance since his presumed arrest. Over recent weeks, his family has persistently and daily sought information about their son by visiting hospitals, security institutions, judicial authorities, and government offices. Despite extensive follow-ups, they have received no clear or meaningful response.
According to an informed source, Abolfazl’s father continues each day with the hope of finding any sign of his son. However, more than a month has passed without any news or information about his fate. Abolfazl’s enforced disappearance has not only caused deep concern regarding the systematic violation of human rights and citizen security in Iran, but has also imposed severe psychological pressure and torment on his family. This situation, alongside alarming reports of the killing of dozens of people in Tabriz and thousands of other citizens across the country, forms part of an organised policy of repression, intimidation, and fear-mongering directed against protesters and their families.
Enforced disappearance, unlawful arrests, and the violent suppression of protests constitute clear and serious violations of human rights, leaving Iranian society in a state of anxiety, insecurity, and uncertainty. In the absence of accountability by responsible institutions, families of protesters are left in prolonged distress and limbo. Judicial and security authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran are obligated to immediately and transparently disclose the place of detention and condition of Abolfazl Ghasemi Amoudizej and to guarantee his safety and right to life.
The January 2026 protests, which erupted following a strike by Tehran’s bazaar in response to the collapse of the national currency, rampant inflation, soaring prices, and economic breakdown, rapidly spread nationwide. On 8 and 9 January, authorities imposed a complete internet shutdown and carried out widespread repression, resulting in the mass killing of unarmed and defenceless protesters. According to published reports, the number of victims reached tens of thousands, marking one of the bloodiest periods of protest suppression in recent years.