Mehrdad Omidi
- Deputy for Combating Special Cyber Crimes of Criminal Investigation Police (2006 - 2009)
- Human Rights Violation: Suppressing cyber activists (2006 - 2009) read more
- Institution
- The Police (NAJA)
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of expression
- Description
-
Mehrdad Omidi, as the Deputy for Combating Special Cybercrimes of Criminal Investigation Police, is responsible for detaining and suppressing many cyber activists. On 14 November, 2009, he announced the launch of the Internet Police Patrol in Iran, and the formation of a 12-member commission responsible for monitoring political issues on the Internet, and said that the police would deal with all crimes on the Internet. He also said that dealing with political crimes on the Internet is another task of the Police Internet Patrol and that the laws in the field of the Internet are defined in some way in the Islamic Penal Code.
- Sources
Iranian police deal with insults to individuals and political crimes on the Internet, BBC Farsi, November 13, 2009
- Human Rights Violation: Suppressing cyber activists (2006 - 2009) read more
- Deputy for Combating Counterfeiting and Fraud of the NAJA Awareness Police (2010 - 2013)
- Head of the 6th base of Criminal Investigation Police, Tehran (2017 - present)
On 10 October, 2011, the European Union placed 29 Iranian officials on the human rights sanctions list, including Mehrdad Omidi, for their role in widespread and gross violations of the rights of Iranian citizens. According to the decision, Omid will be barred from entering the EU and all his assets will be confiscated in Europe. According to the EU statement, Mehrdad Omidi was in charge of thousands of investigations and indictments of reformists and political dissidents who have been active in cyberspace. He is responsible for suppressing those who acted in defence of their legal rights, such as freedom of expression.