Islamic Republic Employs Children for Ideological Service
The deployment of hundreds of female students to combat zones exemplifies ideological exploitation of children in Iran and a blatant violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the “Rahiyan Nur” camps.
In a move constituting a clear violation of Iran’s international obligations, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has dispatched 350 female students from the city of Yasuj to the operational areas of the Iran-Iraq War under a program known as “Rahiyan Nur.”
According to Mostafa Mosnavi, commander of the IRGC’s Fatah Corps in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, these students were sent in 10 convoys for a three-day trip to southern Iran, and it is planned that over 6,000 additional male and female students will be dispatched to these camps in the coming weeks.
According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (adopted in 1989), which Iran acceded to in 1994, the employment of children under 18 years of age in any form of military or paramilitary activity is prohibited. Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly been accused of exposing children, under the guise of cultural or religious programs, to ideological indoctrination and violent imagery related to war.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) had previously warned that the “Rahiyan Nur” camps and similar programs are part of the regime’s policy to institutionalize a culture of martyrdom and military obedience among the younger generation—a policy that contradicts Articles 38 and 39 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child regarding the protection of children from war and violence.
According to independent experts, the forced or semi-forced deployment of students to these camps is a clear example of the instrumental use of children for political and ideological purposes. A recent report from the Iran Human Rights Activists (HRA) states: “The Islamic Republic of Iran exploits children to reproduce military and ideological patterns, including through paramilitary training, religious propaganda, and deployment to war zones with the aim of cementing the official narrative of war and martyrdom.”
Beyond ideological content, safety concerns also exist regarding these camps. In recent years, several fatal incidents have been reported, including the overturning of a bus carrying Rahiyan Nur students, which resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries.
Human rights analysts believe that the primary purpose of such camps is not the teaching of history, but rather the mental shaping of adolescents toward government ideology. According to a researcher at the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center: “The Islamic Republic has converted religious identity into a tool of control and social mobilization by employing concepts of martyrdom and jihad. Children who lack the ability to distinguish ideology from faith are subjected to indoctrination.”
United Nations experts have also previously warned about violations of children’s rights in Iran and called for the immediate cessation of any use of children in activities related to military or paramilitary forces. UNICEF has repeatedly stated that schools and educational camps must be safe environments free from political and religious pressure.
While the Islamic Republic describes the deployment of these students as “a cultural initiative to promote self-sacrifice and resistance,” international bodies consider it a blatant violation of children’s rights and religious exploitation of minors. The continuation of such practices could lead to international complaints against Iran within the framework of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child concerning the involvement of children in armed conflicts—a document that Tehran has signed but has not adhered to in practice.
