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.
Zanyar Moradi…
Believed that he was not being punished for a crime he had committed himself. He considered his case a political one and had asked for a fair trial on numerous occasions.
Bijan Hoda'i…
Bijan read precociously as a boy, auditing elementary school classes before they’d let him officially enroll. His manners were gentle as he grew into active, passionate, Iranian politics.