Recruitment of child soldiers in Iran constitutes a war crime: AI

In an open challenge to international standards and the protection of children, The Iranian regime has made official the recruitment of minors up to 12 years old to join the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). The measure, described by Amnesty International (AI) as a “war crime”, exposes children to deadly risks amid escalating military tensions with the United States and Israel.

The complaint arises after statements by Rahim Nadali, deputy commander of the Mohammad Rasoul Allah Corps of the Revolutionary Guard, who announced the opening of the “Fighters for Iran for the defense of the Homeland” campaign. Nadali justified the reduction of the minimum age to 12 years alleging a supposed “great enthusiasm” and a growing demand by adolescents to participate in operational patrols and intelligence tasks.

However, for human rights organizations, this is not volunteerism, but rather criminal exploitation of minors. Erika Guevara Rosas, director of AI, warned that the deployment of minors under 15 years of age in armed forces constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. “Iranian authorities are shamelessly encouraging children to join a military campaign, putting them in grave danger,” he said.

Tragedy on the front: the death of an 11-year-old boy

The seriousness of this policy was evidenced on March 29 with the death of Alireza Jafari, just 11 years old.. The minor died during an attack by an Israeli drone while “serving” at a save watch over post in Tehran with his father, a member of the Basij paramilitary force. According to his mother’s stories, the father took him away alleging “lack of non-public” and the need for the child to “prepare for the coming days.”

Witnesses in cities such as Tehran, Karaj and Rasht have reported harrowing scenes: children with AK-47 rifles, whose faces barely show facial hair, guarding mosques and roads. “It seemed to be difficult for him to breathe due to the effort of lifting the weapon,” said a witness about a teenager stationed at a save watch over the road.

Amnesty International has verified audiovisual footage where minors are seen wearing camouflage uniforms and balaclavas.wielding assault weapons during official rallies. This mobilization is supported by an abusive legal framework that allows the enlistment of minors from the age of 15 as “active basij”, offering in exchange economic and educational incentives that attract families in situations of extreme poverty.

Iran’s record in using child soldiers is bleak; During the war with Iraq in the 1980s, more than 33,000 minors lost their lives on the front lines.. Today, while air attacks impact infrastructure linked to the Revolutionary Guard, The use of these “small combatants” makes them direct targets, deepening a humanitarian crisis that the world observes with increasing dismay.

Keep reading:

• How Iran is using children for wartime security
• “When I grew up I wanted to be with the resistance”: pain and challenge in the family of a boy who died in an Israeli attack in Lebanon
• The story of the Palestinian mother who was reunited with her daughter evacuated from Gaza after 2 years