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Children Handcuffed and Blindfolded: The Hidden Toll of the Iranian Crackdown
Tehran – In recent years, Iran’s security forces have been widely documented detaining children — some just 8 to 12 years old — in the course of suppressing protests and unrest, with numerous rights groups condemning the treatment as unlawful and deeply harmful.
According to eyewitnesses, rights organizations and detailed investigations, children have frequently been pulled from streets and classrooms by plain-clothes agents, often without warrant or explanation, and taken into custody under frightening conditions. Detainees — including those reportedly as young as eight — have described being handcuffed and blindfolded at the moment of arrest, then transferred to detention facilities run by the Revolutionary Guards, Basij militia, Ministry of Intelligence or police units.
Children detained during protests have often been held incommunicado, denied access to their families and legal counsel, and subjected to stressful, intimidating transport blindfolded before being brought to crowded, adult detention centers — a clear breach of both Iranian law and international conventions.
International Law and Child Protection Obligations
Iran is a state party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which mandates that children should only be detained as a last resort, for the shortest appropriate period, and with protections that safeguard their welfare. Human rights advocates argue that the use of handcuffs, blindfolds and prolonged detention without due process violates these obligations.
Save the Children, a leading child-rights organization, issued a statement in early 2026 calling on Iranian authorities “to immediately end unlawful violence against children” and to ensure kids are protected rather than punished for peaceful expression.
Psychological and Physical Impact on Children
Beyond the legality of their arrest, the conditions described by former detainees and families underscore profound harm:
• Blindfolding and handcuffing: Many children were restrained, blindfolded and transferred without being told where they were going or why they were being held — a terrifying experience for anyone, let alone a child.
• Extended incommunicado detention: In some cases, families reported that authorities did not inform them of their children’s location or condition for extended periods, leaving parents with no way to seek assistance or medical care.
• Denial of basic legal rights: Detainees — including schoolchildren — have been held without contact with a lawyer or guardian and subjected to interrogation without safeguards.
Psychologists warn these experiences can cause long-lasting trauma, affecting everything from trust in adults to mental health and educational prospects. Experts underscore that children should never be treated like adult detainees, especially in contexts of political unrest.
Wider Crackdown on Youth Expression
The arrests are part of a broader pattern of state response to public dissent, particularly since the 2022-23 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in custody. Rights groups have documented not only the detention and abuse of protesters of all ages but also severe violence inflicted on children as they participated — peacefully — in protests demanding change.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International reports describe beatings, electric shocks, and other torture methods used against detainees, including children, alongside forced “confessions” and threats of severe punishment.
Calls for Accountability and Reform
International pressure continues to mount. Human rights organizations, child welfare groups, and United Nations experts have repeatedly urged Iran to comply with its obligations to protect children, release those detained for peaceful protest, and allow independent monitoring of detention conditions.
Critics argue that until the Iranian government ends practices such as blindfolding, handcuffing and detaining children without due process, the country will continue to face serious scrutiny for human rights violations.
Attached is a news article regarding children held in handcuffs and blindfolded in Iran
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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