Eight Days Pass as Security Forces Remain Silent on Abadan Girl’s Abduction

Despite dozens of surveillance cameras and claims of “protecting public security,” eight days have now passed since “Setareh Haidari,” an Abadan girl, went missing, and security forces remain silent.

In the city of Abadan, Khuzestan Province, a disturbing incident occurred on Thursday night, November 15th. A young girl named “Setareh Haidari” left her home to go shopping and has since disappeared without any reliable trace. Reports from informed sources confirm that the 17-year-old Setareh was last seen on closed-circuit cameras around 8:00 PM local time. According to her father, she was abducted by occupants of a Peugeot Pars vehicle.

The Haidari family has stated that Setareh left home with only her mobile phone and a bank card. Reports indicate her departure was in the vicinity of Shapur Park in Abadan.

Despite the installation of multiple closed-circuit cameras on city streets, no shocking footage or concrete leads regarding the abduction have been released or made accessible. After more than a week has passed, no public action from law enforcement agencies to find Setareh or release clear and traceable information has been forthcoming.

Setareh’s family, friends, and social media users have now taken to sharing photos and issuing public appeals in hopes of drawing more attention or obtaining leads on her abductors.

This incident raises several serious questions:

• How is it possible that in a city with dozens of surveillance cameras and license plate readers on its streets, Setareh’s abduction could happen so easily?

• Why have security forces, who repeatedly speak of their role in “maintaining public order and security,” been unable or unwilling to take visible action to find Setareh and trace her abductors?
• A police force that has installed hundreds of cameras to monitor women’s hijab compliance in the streets and constantly pursues and penalizes those without proper hijab—why have they shown no action in such an important case to find a trace of Setareh’s abductors?
• What message does the security apparatus have for citizens when even protective and security mechanisms appear ineffective for a young girl?
• Does the existence of surveillance tools guarantee security? This incident shows that installing cameras and systems without sufficient enforcement and accountability mechanisms may damage public trust.

For audiences and activists concerned with human rights, human dignity, and social justice, this story can be a symbol of the vulnerability of women and youth within ineffective security infrastructure. This situation highlights a reading of “prioritizing control over appearance” against “protecting life and individual freedom.”