Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

The trauma of state violence, if unaddressed, lives on in families and communities, passed from one generation to the next. Many countries have faced their violent past through truth commissions, trials, and memorials. But in Iran, violence is not just a foregone history: generation after generation experiences new episodes of repression and mass killing, with almost no chance to tell the truth, seek justice, or publicly honor their dead. 

When trauma and anger are ignored and society and the world move on, they become an obstacle to any peaceful transition to democracy and national reconciliation. Today, progress in technology and international law make truth-telling, memorialization, and even accountability, possible before an authoritarian regime falls.

This is what the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran (ABC) set out to do nearly 25 years ago. Founded by two sisters carrying their own share of loss, ABC strives to connect communities of victims, help society understand what went wrong and why, and build the record that international actors need to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran to account. We did not wait for the transition or a future truth commission, because by then it might be too late to prevent another cycle of revenge and violence.

Through the Omid Memorial, ABC has created a virtual space where victims from all backgrounds - women, men, girls, and boys, Iranian and non-Iranian, Muslim, Baha’i, Christian, Atheist,  Kurdish, Arab, Baluch are honored, and remembered, regardless of the crime they are accused of or where they were killed. Thousands have entrusted us with testimonies and documents. We have overcome obstacles and persisted, investigating cases, adding new profiles to Omid, publishing reports, interactive tools, documentaries, and informing campaigns for justice. 

Thanks to you, our vision became a living, growing archive of truth and tool for justice. But there is much more to do. As we uncover unreported past killings, the State continues to execute at alarming rates, 1871 so far in 2025. It intimidates and assassinates anyone standing-up to it. A systematic documentation and memorialization, outside the news cycle, is more vital than ever and we need the solidarity of our community and the international public. By supporting us, you impact the present and invest in the fight for a democratic Iran.