The Number of Detained Children in Piranshahr Reaches 5

On Tuesday, November 21, the human rights organization 'Hangaw' reported an increase in the number of children detained in the city of Piranshahr in West Azerbaijan province to 5. This organization announced that Pishva Nabi, 16 years old, and Karzan Nabi, 15 years old, were arrested by security forces at their family homes in Piranshahr. Previously, Komar Nabi, 16 years old; Farzin Nabi, 14 years old; and Heidi Yousefi Aghdam, 16 years old, had also been detained. Hangaw stated that so far, there is no precise information available regarding the reasons for the arrests and the charges against these five children. The human rights organization 'Kurdpa' also wrote that there is no information about the location of detention and the fate of these five individuals. The detention of children under the legal age contradicts the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Paragraph (b) of Article 37 of this convention states: 'No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention, or imprisonment of a child shall be in accordance with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.' In paragraphs (p) and (t) of this article, it is also stated that a detained child has the right to maintain contact with their family, except in exceptional cases, and every child deprived of liberty has the right to immediate access to legal assistance and other appropriate support. They also have the right to contest the legality of their detention before a court or other authorities. The Islamic Republic of Iran signed this convention in 1994, but human rights organizations have repeatedly pointed out that this convention has not been observed by the authorities and institutions of the Islamic Republic. The detention of children in Iran is not new, and since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, there have been numerous reports on this issue, including in 1981. Additionally, 24 of the dozens of detainees on Friday, October 20, in the city of Zahedan were children and adolescents. Families of detained children in Zahedan gathered in front of the Juvenile Correctional Center. The White House commented on the death of Armita Garavand: This violence against the people indicates the 'fragility of the regime.' A human rights organization reported that at least 5 children and adolescents are among the detainees in Zahedan.