HRANA – Despite Iran’s international commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and obligations regarding the prohibition of involving children in military activities, a symbolic event titled “Deployment to the Front” was held in Hamedan. The program involved dressing children in military uniforms, placing weapons in their hands, reenacting scenes of children being sent to war fronts, and using other military-related symbols in the presence of children.
According to HRANA, citing IRIB News, a number of children in Hamedan were made to participate in a symbolic military program.
The event included dressing children in military clothing, placing weapons in their hands, recreating scenes of children being deployed to war fronts, the presence of military personnel, and the use of other military symbols around children. It appears that the event was organized by governmental and state-affiliated institutions.
The report referred to the event as the “Second Symbolic Vehicle Convoy and Deployment to the Front.” The program took place on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Imam Square in Hamedan and, according to the report, was organized to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war.
Images from the event published by IRIB News follow in the original report:
Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, individuals under the age of 18 are considered children, and involving them in military activities is prohibited. Iran, which joined the convention in 1994, has violated its obligations in areas including child labor, judicial punishments, marriage, and military-related education.
In this regard, some human rights organizations believe that sending students to the “Rahian-e Noor” camps — which include visits to war zones, exposure to violent content, and ideological instruction — constitutes a form of instrumental use of children in pursuit of militaristic objectives. These camps have also raised safety concerns, including the risk of accidents such as bus rollovers.
