On January 25, 2006, Bassem Al Obaidi was arrested by members of the American and Iraqi armed forces, wearing their respective military uniforms, during a raid at his house in Baqubah. When the family asked about their identity, the members of the Iraqi armed forces answered that they were part of the Iraqi National Guard and were located in Al Quds Square on the main road between Baghdad and Diyala Governorate. Following his arrest, Al Obaidi was taken to an unknown location and his fate and whereabouts remain unknown to date.

The family has since inquired about his fate and whereabouts in all detention centres run by the American armed forces at the time of the arrest and submitted a complaint to the Central Criminal Court and the Ministry of Interior’s General Inspector, but to no avail. The family has been regularly contacting the Ministry of Interior to inquire about his fate and whereabouts, but has not heard any results. In the beginning of 2017, a member of the office of the Ministry of Interior unofficially told the family not to ask about Bassem Al Obaidi anymore, saying that “after this long time he must be dead”.