Omid Memorial
The men and women whose stories you can read on this page are now all citizens of a silent city named Omid ("hope" in Persian). There, victims of persecution have found a common life whose substance is memory.
Omid's citizens were of varying social origins, nationalities, and religions; they held diverse, and often opposing, opinions and ideologies. Despite the differences in their personality, spirit, and moral fiber, they are all united in Omid by their natural rights and their humanity. What makes them fellow citizens is the fact that one day each of them was unfairly and arbitrarily deprived of his or her life. At that moment, while the world watched the unspeakable happen, an individual destiny was shattered, a family was destroyed, and an indescribable suffering was inflicted.
Behruz Alkhani…
Naser Vafai'…
was a reputable, sincere, kind, caring, trustworthy, responsible, and meticulous individual; he treated poverty-stricken patients free of charge in his private medical practice.
He had written on the independence of judges and the presumption of innocence and was ready to defend himself, if tried. In Revolutionary Courts, however, defendants were presumed guilty and judges mandated to kill.