Single Event

Description

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran has been recruiting Afghan immigrant children residing in Iran for war in Syria, especially in the Fatemiyoun Division (an Afghan armed group supported by Iran). It has been reported that 14-year-old Afghan children are fighting alongside Syrian government forces. This practice raises significant concerns about the use of children in armed conflicts. HRA has interviewed several involved parties and published an in-depth investigation into its findings in 2024.

Events:
- Recruitment of Afghan children for war: According to a 2024 report by HRA, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has recruited Afghan immigrant children residing in Iran to join the Fatemiyoun Division. Contrary to international laws prohibiting the recruitment of individuals under the age of 15 into the armed forces, some children as young as 14 years old have been identified as participants in the war (the minimum age for military service is 15 to 18 years).
- Documentation related to child soldiers: Human rights researchers have examined photographs of gravestones in Iranian cemeteries where fighters killed in Syria were buried. Eight Afghan children, including a 14-year-old, who seemingly fought in Syria and lost their lives, have been identified. The inscriptions on the gravestones indicate that these children were killed in war. Other cases confirmed by Iranian media also indicate that at least six other Afghan child soldiers have been killed in Syria.
- Incorrect reporting of age: In some cases, family members of the deceased fighters have told the media that their children falsely stated their age to join the Fatemiyoun Division. In two cases, while the gravestones indicated that the deceased were over 18 years old, the family members confirmed that their age was less than 18 at the time of death in Syria.

Legal and human rights considerations:
- Prohibition of Recruitment and Use of Children in Hostilities: International humanitarian law expressly prohibits the recruitment and participation of children under the age of 15 in hostilities. Article 38(2) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child similarly prohibits the recruitment or use of children under 15 in armed conflict.
- Recruitment of child soldiers as a war crime: The use of children under the age of 15 in wars is recognized as a war crime. The recruitment of Afghan children for war in Syria by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps falls into this category of crimes, as these children have actively been involved in the war and some of them have been killed.

Iran's documented recruitment and use of Afghan children for war in the Fatemiyoun Division in Syria is a serious violation of international laws. The use of children under the age of 15 in the armed forces and their active participation in hostilities is recognized as a war crime. The human rights documentation regarding the deaths of child soldiers, along with corroborating reports by Iranian media, further highlights the gravity of this violation