HRANA Annual Report on Human Rights Violations in Iran: 7 Million Child Laborers and 20,000 Child Marriages

HRANA, the news organ of the Human Rights Activists Network in Iran, released a comprehensive report detailing human rights violations in Iran during the year 1400 (2021-2022).

The report states that the statistics presented “cannot be considered a comprehensive mirror of the human rights situation in Iran” because the Islamic Republic does not allow independent human rights organizations to operate freely.

Voice of America cannot independently verify these statistics.

Some of the statistics presented in this report are as follows:

• Dissidents

Public and Revolutionary Courts issued a total of 310 cases against ideological or security offenders, totaling over 1,110 years of imprisonment, and issued fines exceeding 6.6 billion rials for dissidents in Iran.

• Children

During the year 1400 (2021-2022): More than 20,000 child marriages were registered; at least 7,780 cases of child abuse, rape, and sexual harassment of children occurred; 92 children attempted suicide and three children attempted self-immolation; over three million children were deprived of education; and over seven million child laborers existed in Iran.

• Flogging Sentences

Last year, at least 4,000 flogging sentences were issued and approximately 400 floggings were carried out.

• Women, Culture, Tradition and Laws

During the past year, over 21,500 cases of domestic violence occurred, at least 12 women were subjected to acid attacks, 10 women committed self-immolation, and 20 other women were victims of honor killings.

• Civilian Casualties

During the year 1400 (2021-2022), 203 Iranian citizens were shot by Islamic Republic armed forces, 26 smugglers were killed and 86 smugglers were injured, 13 fuel smugglers were killed and 12 fuel smugglers were injured, and as a result of mine explosions, 25 civilians were killed and 65 others were injured.

• Death Sentences

According to HRANA, during the past year, at least 333 Iranians, including three juvenile offenders (individuals who were minors at the time of committing the crime), were executed by the Islamic Republic and death sentences were issued for 105 others.

• Worker Conditions

During the year 1400 (2021-2022), at least 10,669 workers were laid off or became unemployed, 764 workers were killed in workplace accidents and 9,441 other workers were injured, and nearly 32,000 workers reported wage arrears.

• Protest Gatherings

Last year, at least 2,769 protest gatherings were recorded, of which 610 were labor gatherings, 1,769 were professional gatherings, 48 were student gatherings, and 262 were gatherings of those who lost their savings.

• Prisoner Conditions

According to this report, during the year 1400 (2021-2022), 193 prisoners went on hunger strike, 317 prisoners were subjected to exile, threats and torture, and 27 prisoners died as a result of “illness, murder by officials, and suicide.”

The United States has repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic of Iran on various occasions for numerous human rights violations.

A few months ago, the United States sanctioned several Iranian security officials and institutions in connection with “serious human rights violations,” suppression of protests, and weakening of democracy. The U.S. State Department also issued a statement quoting Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, stating that the United States uses a wide range of its tools to expose human rights violations and stop them.

Iran has also been classified as a “country of particular concern” since 1999 under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 due to severe violations of religious freedoms. Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, based on the latest report on the status of religious freedom, has emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran government continues to intimidate, harass, persecute and detain members of religious minorities, including Bahá’ís, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Sunni Muslims, and Sufis.

Source: Voice of America