Arrest of Director of ‘Hamdam’ Rehabilitation Center Following Opposition to Using Disabled Children as Human Shields
Revelations about the security exploitation of children and patients as human shields depict a troubling narrative of the Islamic Republic’s instrumental use of people and the detention of dissenters.
Reports published from the city of Mashhad have exposed a shocking incident at one of the care centers for children with disabilities; an incident that has once again heightened concerns about the instrumental use of civilians, particularly vulnerable groups, within the security structures of the Islamic Republic.
According to these reports, “Zahra Hejat,” director of the “Hamdam” rehabilitation center who has worked for years in the field of care and support for girls with disabilities, was arrested and transferred to an unknown location after refusing a request from Revolutionary Guards forces to be stationed at the center. This action has sparked widespread reactions among human rights activists and child advocates.
The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, citing published reports, stated: “The arrest of Zahra Hejat, a recognized figure in the field of supporting girls with disabilities and head of the Hamdam rehabilitation institution in Mashhad, has raised extensive concerns about her condition and place of detention.” The organization further added: “Due to years of continuous work in the care, education, and support of children with special needs, she has become known among advocates in this field as the ‘mother of 400 girls.'”
However, what has made this case a sensitive and revelatory matter are reports indicating the Revolutionary Guards forces’ intention to be stationed at the center. According to information released by the Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners, these forces intended to use the space of this institution and the presence of hundreds of disabled children as a cover for their security objectives; an action that, if carried out, would effectively turn these children into “human shields.”
The director’s explicit opposition to such a plan led to her arrest, and since her detention, no transparent information has been released about her health status or place of detention. This is while human rights organizations emphasize that the arrest of individuals for preventing the abuse of children is a clear instance of human rights violation and breach of basic ethical principles.
The Hamdam rehabilitation center is one of the few facilities that provides 24-hour care for approximately 400 girls with physical disabilities and no guardians. In recent years, this center has been recognized as a refuge for the most vulnerable segments of society, and any military or security use of it has raised deep concerns at national and international levels.
If confirmed, such actions by the government could fall within a broader pattern of exploitation of non-military spaces including schools, hospitals, and charitable organizations; a pattern aimed at creating human shields and generating propaganda in the face of external pressures. In such circumstances, any damage to these facilities could be used as a tool to incriminate other parties in the international arena.
This approach, aside from directly threatening the lives of children and patients, raises serious questions about adherence to international commitments in the protection of civilians. Human rights defenders have called for immediate clarification regarding Zahra Hejat’s condition and assurances against the use of support centers as military targets or cover.
While the fate of the detained director remains shrouded in ambiguity, this case has become a symbol of deeper challenges that exist between humanitarian activities and security interventions within government structures; a challenge that has, above all, targeted the lives and dignity of the most vulnerable members of society.
