Human rights alarm as Iranian forces shoot dead three children during protests

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Human rights alarm as Iranian forces shoot dead three children during protests

The Iranian government’s security forces have escalated their brutal suppression of anti-government rallies in the country, leaving at least three minors dead after they were shot by the security operatives. This comes at a time when serious human right abuses are taking place in Iran following the widespread anti-government protests that have engulfed the entire nation in the last eight days.

Human rights sources also state that more than 40 minors have been detained, many of whom have been beaten and held in secret locations. The killing of the children has raised renewed concerns among the international community about the extent to which Iran follows international law in confronting public unrest, especially in the protection of minors.

Why are protests spreading rapidly across Iran?

Though the protests began due to the devaluation of their national currency and living costs reaching their highest levels, they have escalated into a movement demanding a change within Iran. Iran is experiencing a spate of nationwide protests that are entering their second year. The economic woes of the nation have triggered a spate of protests due to the fall of the national currency and living costs. This makes a vast cross-section of society economically unstable.

As per ahuman rights grassroots group based in the United States, called Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), there are protests in at least 78 cities and 222 places throughout the country, indicating the degree of mobilization of public discontent, while initially sparked by economic grievances, a political uprising takes place in earnest, calling for the dismantling of the ruling political order.

How has economic frustration turned into political defiance?

In the early stages, protests centered around basic matters such as stagnant wages, unemployment, and purchasing power. But soon, rallying cries escalated from economic messages to direct defiance against Iran’s political elite.

Demonstrators have been heard chanting “death to the dictator,” in apparent solidarity against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as “woman, life, freedom,” which encapsulated the slogans used during the mass demonstrations in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini. This is the usual pattern in Iran, where economic problems trigger or spur further political unrest.

How many children have been killed or detained so far?

Rights bodies have also highlighted the frightening affect the situation has had on minors. At least three children have been killed, while over 40 minors have been arrested, as recorded by the HRAI and other human rights monitoring agencies.

One of the victims is 15-year-old Mostafa Falahi, from the city of Azna in the Iranian center, who was reported to have been shot dead by security forces on 1st January. The Hengaw Organization of Human Rights in Oslo further confirmed the deaths of 17-year-old Rasul Kadivarian and his 20-year-old brother, Reza, aged 20, both of which were killed on 3rd January due to the shooting of security forces at protesters in Kermanshah.

A third victim, a 17-year-old killed in the city of Qom, was reported by state media, with human rights groups still working to verify the child’s identity.

Are security forces deliberately targeting civilians?

Rights groups have blamed the indiscriminate targeting of civilians, including children, on Iran’s security forces. Skylar Thompson, the deputy director of HRAI, argued that the recorded deaths and arrest of minors indicate a high level of youths in the protests.

“These figures prove conclusively that youth are represented in the current protest demonstrations,” Thompson continued. “The indiscriminate targeting of a civilian population should be widely condemned as a breach of international law, particularly where minors are known to be impacted.”

There are reports of the use of live rounds, tear gas, pellets, and military weapons, which have given rise to concerns about proportionality in line with international human rights law.

What do arrest and casualty figures reveal about the crackdown?

The number of arrests has begun to rise considerably after statements from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who labelled the protesters “rioters.” Since then, the reaction from security forces has turned more aggressive.

According to the HRAI, at least 990 people have been arrested, while no less than 20 people have been killed in the course of the protest. In a earlier report, the Center for Human Rights in Iran in New York had earlier confirmed a death toll of eight people as well as several injured.

What role is the Iranian government playing in escalation or dialogue?

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is regarded as a figure of the Iranian reform movement, at first had a conciliatory tone in connection with the situation in the country, suggesting that the authorities should hear the “legitimate demands” of the protesters.

Nevertheless, human rights organizations believe that such talk has not resulted in measures to keep off the streets. In fact, security operations have continued to increase, which indicates that final control is still vested in hardline bodies and the office of the supreme leader, relative to control by the president.

Why are hospitals becoming part of the crackdown?

Human rights organizations reported that security forces stormed Khomeini Hospital in Ilam, where injured protesters were being transferred. Such reports highlight obvious rights violations of medical neutrality, which are safeguarded by international law. Aw Yar Shekhi of Hengaw reported that prisoners are beaten badly before being moved to unknown locations, leading to allegations of enforced disappearance and torture.

How are international human rights bodies responding?

International human rights bodies have also condemned the violence. Amnesty International expressed alarm at the reports of people being killed in the protests and called on the Iranian government to respect the rights of the people to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, also asked Iran to allow all people to peacefully protest and voice their concerns without fear of violence and retaliation.