According to reports received by the Hana Human Rights Organization, on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, “Arash Azizi,” a 16-year-old child from Sirvan County in illam Province, was illegally arrested by security forces and transferred to an undisclosed location.
According to the report, despite 25 days having passed since his detention, no information is available regarding the reasons for his arrest, his place of detention, or his current whereabouts.
The Hana Human Rights Organization expresses deep concern over the legal uncertainty surrounding this Kurdish child and emphasizes that, due to their vulnerable status, children are entitled to special protective standards in all legal proceedings, even if they are accused of committing an offense.
Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Iran is a party, and pursuant to Article 9 of Iran’s Civil Code, pretrial detention should be used only as a last resort and when strictly necessary. Iranian domestic law similarly foresees in Article 287 of the Criminal Procedure Code that a child or adolescent should primarily be placed under the care of a parent or legal guardian, and detention during preliminary investigations is only permissible under exceptional circumstances.
Violations of children’s due process protections are not limited to pretrial detention but also extend to the competent court and procedural privileges granted to children and adolescents during trial. These protections include limiting pretrial detention, ensuring immediate access to family, prohibiting physical or psychological coercion, and providing access to appropriate legal counsel.
In light of these considerations, the Hana Human Rights Organization holds the provincial prosecutor and the Director-General of Intelligence directly responsible for the physical and psychological well-being of this child and calls for the immediate release of all detained children.