250 Female Students Sent to Southern Military Operational Areas

The commander of Poldokhtar Basij Resistance Zone announced the dispatch of 250 female students to military operational areas in the south.

In violation of the Child Rights Convention, Colonel “Majid Biranvand,” commander of Poldokhtar Basij Resistance Zone, announced yesterday the dispatch of 250 female students from this county in the first convoy of the “Rahian-e Noor” (Path of Light) campaign to an operational area in the country’s south.

Regarding the dispatch of this convoy to southern operational areas, he said: “This number of students traveled in five buses, one of which belonging to Mamalan County was sent by the Abulfaraj Lorestan Revolutionary Guards Corps from Poldokhtar on a spiritual and cultural journey as part of Rahian-e Noor. Over three days, these students will visit memorials of martyrs located in operational areas from the Sacred Defense period, including Fath-ol-Mobin, Shalmcheh, Fakkeh, Dehlavi, Hoveizeh, and will participate in the cultural and military programs at Martyr Masoudian military base.”

This dispatch was organized with the aim of acquainting youth and adolescents with the values and objectives of the martyrs, fighters, and their sacrifices and devotion, transmitting the culture of martyrdom and sacrifice, and with cooperation from the Poldokhtar Governor’s Office and Education Department.

Regarding this three-day trip to operational areas, he added: “A spiritual clergyman, narrator, and speaker will accompany this spiritual convoy, and distribution of cultural packages, narrations by Sacred Defense veterans, and spiritual ceremonies are among the most important supplementary programs of Poldokhtar student Rahian-e Noor camps.”

The dispatch of these female students to operational areas occurs while, according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is defined as any person under 18 years of age, to which Iran has been a party since 1994. According to this convention, the use of children and adolescents in military activities is prohibited. However, like other sections concerning child labor, punishment, execution, and child marriage, Iran has ignored this commitment by providing military training and employing persons under 18 years of age.