The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child condemns the death of 23 minors in the framework of the protests in Iran

40 NGOs call for a special session at the UN Human Rights Council to discuss the creation of an independent justice mechanism

Oct. 17 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has condemned this Monday the violent death of at least 23 minors in the framework of the protests in Iran for the death of the young Kurdish Mahsa Amini in police custody.

“The Committee is alarmed by the killing by the security forces of at least 23 children, including an 11-year-old boy. According to credible reports, some children were shot with ammunition, while others died as a result of beatings.” , has expressed in a statement.

It has also reported that many families, despite the mourning, have been pressured to declare the deaths of their children as suicides, thus forcing them to make false confessions. Because of this, the Committee has urged Tehran “to comply with its international human rights obligations.”

In said statement, he has also expressed his concern about verified reports that record detentions and torture of minors in schools along with adults. Thus, he has reminded Iran of its “fundamental obligation to protect children’s rights.”

“The announcement made by the Ministry of Education on October 12 that detained children would be transferred to psychological correction and education centers to prevent them from becoming antisocial characters and the numerous reports of expulsion of many high school students in retaliation are also cause for concern,” he said.

Finally, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has ruled that Iran must respect “the rights of children to freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration”, while “the use of force against peaceful demonstrations” must cease.

“Many children, including many girls, are protesting to make their views known on issues that matter to them. Their right to be heard must not be quashed by any level of force,” he added.

SPECIAL SESSION AT THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

On the other hand, at least 40 human rights organizations, including Human Right Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International (AI), have demanded a special session within the UN Human Rights Council to deal with the ” seriousness of the crimes” committed in Iran.

“At that session, the Council should establish an independent mechanism with investigative, reporting and accountability functions to address the most serious crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations committed in Iran, including in the context of successive waves of repression of protests,” they explained in a joint statement.

For this reason, they have called for “accountability.” “The mechanism must be adequately mandated and resourced to collect and preserve evidence, and share it with national, regional and international courts and administrative bodies that may have jurisdiction over crimes.”

“A mechanism with such functions is urgently needed to complement the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, given the seriousness and scale of the crimes committed with absolute impunity in the country,” they said.

In this way, “long-standing emblematic events” that have “persistent impunity” could be judged, such as the forced disappearances and summary and arbitrary executions of 1988 and the protests of November 2019.