The Islamic Republic of Iran ramped up its violent crackdown against adolescent protestors who are demanding the end of the theocratic state, according to Iranian-American human rights experts.
“Call this what it is: Kidnappings of children by a state that is stopping at nothing in its attempts to quell protests and terrify the people of Iran into submission,” said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran.
Lawdan Bazargan, a former Iranian political prisoner who oversees the Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists, told the Jerusalem Post that "Iran's Islamic Regime was established by lies, propaganda, and brainwashing of the youth. Teenagers were sent to the Iran-Iraq war fronts with an empty promise of paradise to die so Khomeini could rule.”
“Forty-three years later, the new generation born and raised under Islamic rule is revolting against geriatric men, the rulers of the Islamic Regime," Bazargan said. "The uprising of these young men and women has proved the scientific studies that oppression and brutality alone can not help the rulers to stay in power forever. One can only admire these savvy and courageous young women and men."
"The uprising of these young men and women has proved the scientific studies that oppression and brutality alone can not help the rulers to stay in power forever. One can only admire these savvy and courageous young women and men."
Lawdan Bazargan
The deputy commander of the US-sanctioned terrorist entity Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ali Fadavi said in early October that the average age of those arrested during the nationwide demonstration is 15.
Fadavi told the pro-Iran regime news outlet Barkhat News “Neglecting the areas of education, knowledge, explanation, and propaganda caused these people to become fat morsels for the enemy on the altar of virtual and media space.”
“In their confessions, some of these arrested teenagers and young people talk about common keywords, such as simulating street riots with computer games, as well as addiction and strong dependence on virtual space; The context and platform that the enemy's virtual and satellite networks and media made good use of to deceive and mislead,” he said.
The protests against the Islamic Republic emerged in response to the alleged murder of in mid-September of the 22-year-old woman Masha Amini in the custody of the regime's notorious morality police. The morality police arrested Amini for failing to comply with the country's strict Islamic dress code that requires a woman's hair to be covered with a hijab.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran
“UNICEF, which has an office in Iran, should be tracking down these defenseless children and getting them back to their families,” said Ghaemi. “World governments should loudly call on Iranian officials to stop arbitrarily detaining children as well as adults for exercising their right to protest, as well as urge for the end of lethal force against protesters.”
“US President Joe Biden and democratic allies at the UN should establish an urgent special session at the UN Human Rights Council to bring governments into a debate over the current violent crackdown and Iran’s ongoing human rights crisis," he said.
According to the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, "At least 28 children are among the reported minimum number of 201 individuals killed since anti-state, nationwide protests erupted in the country." The center noted "The number of 28 children was reported by the Tehran-based Association for the Protection of Children on October 10, which added that 'the largest number of deaths occurred in the province of Sistan and Baluchistan.”'
The Center for Human Rights in Iran said the Iranian regime's Education Minister Yousef Nouri said an unnamed number of children were transported to reeducation camps after they were arrested allegedly for engaging in anti-regime protests.