According to human rights organizations, at least 23 children were killed by security forces during the four-week-old protests in Iran. “Iranian security forces have illegally killed at least 23 children,” Amnesty Iran said on Twitter, citing a report released today.
Amnesty International said today that this action underscores the “brutality” with which authorities have tried to quell protests in the country. However, activists called for mass protests across the country tomorrow.
Most victims were shot
According to the Amnesty report, the children killed were 20 boys aged between 11 and 17 and three girls, two aged 16 and one aged 17. Most of the boys were shot dead by security forces, and three girls and one boy died “after fatal beatings by security forces,” the report said.
The protests were sparked by the death of the young Kurdish Mahsa Amini. The 22-year-old died in Tehran on September 16 after being arrested three days earlier by religious police on charges of failing to wear a headscarf in accordance with regulations.