Hana has learned that at dawn on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, two 16-year-old children, identified as Diyar Gorgol and Alan Tabnak, from Oshnavieh, were unlawfully arrested by security forces and transferred to an undisclosed location.
The Hana Human Rights Organization, while expressing deep concern about the uncertain legal situation of these two Kurdish children, emphasizes that children, due to their vulnerability, must always benefit from special protective standards in legal proceedings, even in cases of alleged criminal conduct.
According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Iran is a state party—and which, under Article 9 of the Civil Code, is binding within domestic law—pretrial detention of minors must only be used as a last resort and in cases of absolute necessity. In line with this, Iranian domestic law, specifically Article 287 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, also stipulates that the primary approach should be to hand the child or juvenile over to their parents or legal guardian, with detention during preliminary investigations permitted only under strictly exceptional circumstances.
Violations of juvenile due process are not limited to the pretrial stage, but extend to the right to be tried before a competent court and to benefit from safeguards specifically designed for children during trial proceedings. Such safeguards include limiting pretrial detention, immediate access to family, prohibition of physical and psychological coercion, and access to appropriate legal counsel suited to the child’s situation.
In light of the above, the Hana Human Rights Organization holds the provincial prosecutor and the head of the Intelligence Department directly responsible for the physical and psychological well-being of these children and calls for their immediate release.