As the new academic year begins in Iran, Kurdish human rights activists have released a report documenting the arrest of schoolchildren and minors under the age of 18 since the start of 2025.
According to the report, children who had already been systematically denied the right to education in their mother tongue are now facing security-related arrests at the very outset of their childhood and adolescence, exposing them to deprivation and long-lasting, irreparable consequences.
The data indicates that during the past nine months (since the beginning of 2025), at least 28 students under the age of 18 have been arrested by security forces of the Islamic Republic across various provinces of Kurdistan, including Urmia, Sanandaj, Ilam, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, as well as Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad.
Regrettably, a large segment of media outlets that claim to represent the Iranian opposition continue to sideline news related to repression in Kurdistan and Baluchistan. Instead of amplifying the suffering and resilience of oppressed nations, these outlets often prioritize marginal issues or shallow news-making. This approach not only obscures the grim realities of repression and mass arrests but also reinforces the regime’s repressive policies by muting the voices of victims in the public sphere.
