AMMAN/GENEVA — In a sharp rebuke of the Iranian government’s response to recent domestic turmoil, UNICEF has issued an urgent plea for the immediate and unconditional release of all children currently held in state detention. The statement, released on February 19, 2026, highlights the “life-lasting consequences” of incarceration on minors and underscores Iran’s binding obligations under international human rights law.
The call for action follows a period of intense public unrest that erupted in late December 2025, sparked by a collapsing national currency and soaring inflation. The subsequent state crackdown has seen hundreds of minors caught in the machinery of the judicial system.
A Growing Human Rights Crisis
While the exact number of child detainees remains unverified due to a lack of transparency, human rights monitors suggest the figures are staggering. Reports from the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations indicate that hundreds of schoolchildren have been detained, with some facilities reportedly housing minors alongside general adult populations.
UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, emphasized that the psychological and developmental toll on these children is immense. “The adverse impact of detention and incarceration on children is well documented,” Beigbeder stated. “Children are not ‘little adults’; they require special care.”
Key Concerns: Secret Facilities and Systematic Abuse
The UN’s alarm is compounded by emerging reports of where and how these children are being held:
- Incommunicado Detention: Many families report being denied any information regarding the whereabouts or health of their children.
- Secret Centers: Beyond official juvenile wards, investigative reports have identified more than 36 secret detention sites in cities like Mashhad and Kerman where torture and forced “confessions” are allegedly used to extract information.
- Legal Representation: Minors are frequently denied access to independent counsel, often appearing before “grossly unfair” expedited trials.
International Obligations vs. Domestic Reality
As a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Islamic Republic of Iran is legally required to treat children with “humanity and dignity” and to ensure that deprivation of liberty is used only as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate period.
“These are binding obligations,” UNICEF noted, reminding Tehran that the future of its society depends on the protection, not the incarceration, of its youth.
What Lies Ahead?
As of February 21, 2026, UN human rights experts have joined UNICEF in demanding a full disclosure of the fate and whereabouts of those detained. With reports of at least 200 schoolchildren killed in the January crackdown, the pressure on the international community to move beyond statements and toward targeted sanctions is reaching a fever pitch.
The Iranian Ministry of Justice has maintained that youth are being held in “rehabilitation centers,” but the lack of independent access remains the primary hurdle for humanitarian organizations seeking to verify these claims.
