Disappearance of Ahwazi Citizen “Ali Sameri Sayberi” Following Summons by Security Agency

Concern and outrage have been mounting among Ahwazi communities and human rights organizations following the disappearance of 47-year-old Ahwazi Arab citizen Ali Sameri Sayberi.

He went missing after being summoned on Saturday, August 3, 2025, by a unit known as the “News Team” affiliated with Iran’s Intelligence Department in Ahwaz. Since that moment, all contact with him has been lost, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

According to field reports received by the Karoon Human Rights Organization, Sayberi, a resident of the Ahwaz capital, had no prior record of arrest or political activity. He also suffers from chronic health issues, most notably a heart condition, which has heightened his family’s fears for his life and physical well-being.

Informed human rights sources stated that security authorities have not issued any statement about Sayberi’s location and have ignored inquiries from his family, who remain in a state of growing anxiety amid the complete absence of information regarding the conditions of his detention or any potential charges.

Human rights activists pointed out that Sayberi, who is married and a father of three children, led a normal life and had no affiliations that would justify his sudden summons or unlawful detention.

The Karoon Human Rights Organization has expressed deep concern over the incident, affirming that what happened to Sayberi constitutes an enforced disappearance, which violates international laws and human rights standards.

The organization called on Iranian authorities to urgently disclose his whereabouts, allow him to contact his family and lawyer, and provide him with immediate medical care given his critical health condition.

The organization also emphasized that the recurrence of such cases in Ahwaz reflects a systematic policy aimed at suppressing civil voices and represents a grave violation of the fundamental rights of Ahwazi citizens especially amid growing international condemnation of Iran’s human rights record, particularly in non-Persian regions.

It is worth noting that Iranian authorities have for decades practiced arbitrary summonses and detentions of Ahwazi activists and civilians in an attempt to erase the Arab identity of Ahwaz and silence any voice demanding rights or justice further deepening the suffering of the indigenous population under continued international indifference.