The Hana Human Rights Organization has learned that two Kurdish children, identified as Behrouz Rashidi (17) and Owraz Zamani (17), both from the village of Palangan in Kamyaran county, Kurdistan province, were illegally arrested by security forces. According to initial findings, they have been transferred to the Intelligence Department’s detention facility in Kurdistan.
Expressing concern over the uncertain legal status of these two Kurdish children, Hana stresses that children, due to their vulnerable condition, are entitled to special protective standards in judicial proceedings—even in cases where they may be accused of a crime.
According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Iran is a signatory—and which, under Article 9 of Iran’s Civil Code, holds the force of domestic law—pre-trial detention must be considered only as a last resort and used solely when absolutely necessary. Similarly, Iran’s own domestic law, under Article 287 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, upholds this principle, requiring that children be entrusted to their parents or legal guardians, and that detention during preliminary investigations be permitted only under strictly exceptional circumstances.
Violations of juvenile due process are not confined to pre-trial detention but also extend to the right to a competent court and to special safeguards provided to children during trial.
These protective judicial standards include: limiting pre-trial detention, immediate access to family, prohibition of physical or psychological pressure, and access to legal counseling and child-appropriate legal representation.
In light of the above, the Hana Human Rights Organization holds the Provincial Prosecutor and the Director General of Kurdistan Intelligence Department directly responsible for the physical and psychological well-being of these children.