Save the Children Calls for End to Child Rights Violations Amid Unrest in Iran

Save the Children is calling on the Iranian authorities and all those involved in the unrest to immediately end the violence against children and uphold their obligations under international law, following UN and media reports that children have been killed, injured and detained in Iran.

Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s Regional Director for Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, said:

“Children must be protected from all forms of violence and harm. They should never be targeted, injured or detained for exercising their right to speak out or to protest peacefully. No child should be made to live in fear, face violence or lose their life simply for using their voice.

“This violence must stop immediately, and all children must be released from detention.

“Iran ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child that states that the arrest, detention or imprisonment of children shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time. It also requires that children are treated with dignity and allowed to remain in contact with their families. These are fundamental obligations under international law and must be upheld.”

Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the right to express their views, to be heard on issues that affect their lives, and to peacefully assemble and associate with others. These are fundamental freedoms. Iran is therefore obligated to allow children to participate safely in civic life and community discussions, and to ensure their views are respected and given due weight in line with their age and maturity.

Save the Children is the world’s largest independent child rights organization, reaching tens of millions of children annually in about 110 countries through its work to save and improve children’s lives. Securing children’s rights is the foundation of our work. The organization is not active in Iran.

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we’ve been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that Save the Children is a charity you can trust.