The immediate and unconditional release of all detained children and youths is demanded!
Since the beginning of the most recent protests, at least five children and youths have been killed by direct fire with live ammunition by the repressive forces of the Islamic Republic. The victims are: Taha Safavi (15 years old) and Mostafa Fallahi (15 years old) in Azna; Rasoul Kadivarian and Reza Ghanbari (17 years old) in Kermanshah; and Mohammad Nouri (17 years old) in Qom.
Hundreds of children and youths have been arrested in the streets, in their homes, and in schools under the pretext of “guidance and release.” In reality, they have been abducted and subjected to severe physical and psychological torture, threats, and abuse in order to extract forced confessions.
In the province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad alone, around 100 children and youths have been arrested. More than ten of them are being held in security detention and subjected to brutal interrogations, and approximately 70 individuals have been transferred to juvenile detention centers and Yasuj Prison. In the city of Harsin, nearly 100 youths are still being held in detention without their families being informed of their whereabouts. In Qom, over 200 youths are imprisoned after being abducted by security forces.
In Shushtar, a violent raid was carried out on a residential area, during which ten school students around 17 years old were arrested with extreme brutality and taken to an unknown location.
On the evening of Sunday, January 4, repressive forces stormed Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam and used tear gas inside the hospital premises. From there, Amirali Abdian (16 years old), Firooz Faraji, and Mohammad Sadra Mansouri—all of whom were injured and receiving medical treatment—were forcibly taken away.
Widespread mass arrests of children and school students have been reported from, among other places, the provinces of Tehran and Alborz, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Razavi Khorasan, Kermanshah, Fars, and many other parts of the country.
In cities such as Yasuj, Najafabad, and Mahallat, worried families have gathered in protest and demanded the immediate release of their children. Resistance and protest against the killing, abduction, and detention of children and youths are necessary everywhere.
We, the organization Children First, condemn all forms of violence, oppression, and crimes directed against children. The murder, abduction, and torture of children—under any pretext—constitute grave crimes against humanity and must cease immediately. All those responsible, including decision-makers and perpetrators, must be brought to justice in open and fair trials.
All children, youths, and other detainees must be released immediately and unconditionally and be given access to necessary medical and psychological care.
We call on the international community, UNICEF, human rights organizations, independent institutions, and all consciences around the world to act immediately and decisively against the ongoing violations of children’s rights in Iran.
Through international pressure, these crimes must be stopped. Children’s right to life, safety, and a future must be defended. Every act of protest and solidarity can save more children from the violence of this child-killing regime.
Children First
16 Dey 1404 – January 6, 2026
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