Iran's IRGC Recruits Children as Young as 12, Kills 11-Year-Old at Checkpoint
Key Takeaways
- IRGC recruiting children as young as 12 to serve as homeland defense volunteers.
- 11-year-old Alireza Jafari killed at Tehran checkpoint alongside his father.
- HRW says IRGC recruitment of 12-year-olds risks war crimes against children.
Child Recruitment Begins
Iran's IRGC launched a campaign recruiting children as young as 12.
Recruitment includes cooking, medical care, supply distribution, and security duties.
Human Rights Watch condemned the campaign as a grave violation of children’s rights.
Eleven-Year-Old Killed at Checkpoint
Alireza Jafari was reportedly killed in an air strike while manning a checkpoint with his father.
His mother said there were only four people present at the checkpoint.
The Israel Defense Forces said they could not verify the incident without coordinates.
Human Rights Outcry
Human rights organizations widely condemned Iran's recruitment of children.
Recruiting minors under 15 constitutes a war crime.
The recruitment poster showed two children alongside adults.
Children Deployed on Streets
Eyewitnesses told the BBC they have seen children assigned to patrols and checkpoints.
Golnaz saw armed teenagers operating with Basij forces.
The city of Qom declared volunteers would guard public sites.
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