Concerns Grow Over Iranian Protester Awaiting Execution

Milad Abdi, a former political prisoner once confined with Balouch in Tehran's prison, has branded his death a “suicide.” However, judicial and forensic authorities have yet to comment.

According to Abdi, Balouch, had been granted amnesty after two suicide attempts. In October 2022, he was transferred to prison by security forces on his way home and, after a period of interrogations, was sentenced to five years in prison for charges of "collusion and conspiracy against national security."

However, it is believed Balouch had been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence office a few days ago for further interrogation. Abdi has stated, "Ashkan repeatedly said he had no role in the protests." 

The Islamic Republic has executed at least eight protesters in connection with the uprising sparked in September 2022 in response to the killing of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

According to human rights organizations, at least 551 protesters, including 68 children, were killed during the uprising. At least 22 individuals lost their lives under suspicious circumstances or due to suicide, and hundreds more suffered eye injuries. Thousands more were arbitrarily arrested.

A report from the Research Center of the Iranian Parliament said girls were dropping out of school to get married in rising numbers. "The total number of school dropouts in the academic year 2015-2016 was 862,777, and in the academic year 2021-2022, it surged by 26%, reaching 911,272."

Mansour Fat’hi, an associate professor of social welfare at Allameh Tabataba'i University, pointed to poverty as the primary issue in slum areas, underscoring that around 70% of underprivileged children find themselves in the lowest economic conditions amidst Iran's dire economic crisis.

The Ministry of Education reported that approximately 30% of high school students and 20% of girls aged 15 to 18 left school in 2022 due to early marriages.

Despite global standards considering individuals under 18 as "children", child marriages are allowed from the age of 13 for girls and 15 for boys in Iran. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has consistently emphasized policies promoting population growth, fertility, and early marriages.

Iran's Statistical Center recorded around 25,900 cases of girls under 15 getting married in 2022, less than the 32,000 such cases registered in 2021, suggesting discrepancies in the data released by the government.

UNICEF shortlisted Iran in the Middle East and North Africa's top five countries for child marriage in 2020 and according to Iran Open Data, one out of five marriages is among minors. 

Noting that observations on the streets indicate a worsening situation, Tahereh Pazhouhesh emphasized that the age of child labor in Iran has now reached as low as seven years.

In a recent interview with Faraz Daily, she expressed concern that all activities related to child labor are being carried out in a negligent manner without proper supervision.

Criticizing the lack of expertise and awareness among city officials regarding children, she highlighted that, "Until specific budgetary resources are allocated for children, no changes will occur in the conditions of child labor."

In centers previously under the supervision of the Welfare Organization, Pazhouhesh disclosed that they used to care for child laborers. However, due to insufficient capacity, the government was ultimately compelled to release the children after just one week.

Meanwhile, Alireza Zakani, the Mayor of Tehran, asserted on Saturday that issues related to drug addiction and child labor would be resolved by the end of the Iranian year (March 20).

Zakani claimed that a special plan would be implemented to ensure that the face of Tehran is "completely clean" of the challenges posed by drug addiction and child labor before the Persian New Year, Nowruz.

However, Zakani's statements have triggered a wave of negative reactions from activists and social media users. Activists pointed out that child laborers are exposed to harassment and sexual abuse. Some social media users also attributed the growth of child labor, drug addiction, and homelessness to the policies of the Islamic Republic over the past four decades.

The protest stems from dissatisfaction with the recent termination of positions for 21 workers and the failure to implement job classification plans.

Following the strike, workers vacated the company premises and gathered along the Ahvaz-Khorramshahr road. The protest represents the latest in a series of actions by the Iran National Steel Industrial Group employees. Over the past months, they have intermittently halted work to voice their concerns.

Video is blurred to protect workers' identities

The most recent demonstration occurred on December 20, as workers voiced their opposition to low wages, the non-implementation of job classifications, and management's disregard for their demands. Slogans such as "A worker dies but does not accept humiliation" echoed through the protest.

In a November protest , workers abstained from work for three consecutive days, emphasizing their demands for wage parity and the reinstatement of expelled colleagues.

On September 27, the Islamic Republic's judiciary sentenced 17 protesting workers from the group to imprisonment and fines. They were accused of "disrupting public order through creating disturbance and commotion" during the Iranian people's uprising following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody in 2022.

The Iran National Steel Industrial Group, previously overseen by the Amir Mansour Aria Investment Company, underwent private ownership after legal proceedings and the execution of Aria for embezzlement.

Recent months have witnessed workers from various industries, members of different guilds, and retirees organizing numerous protests to address economic conditions. Several of the gatherings have been met with crackdown by security forces, coupled with legal obstacles for protesters.

Alinejad drew attention to the parallel with sexual assault by agents of the Islamic Republic against detained Iranian protesters.

"If we do not unite now, terrorists will certainly commit more sexual assaults against women," warned Alinejad. Expressing confusion over the lack of global solidarity in condemning the Hamas attacks, she pointed out the importance of a united front against such atrocities.

Hamas gunmen sexually assaulted dozens of women during their October 7 attack on Israel and took scores hostage. Reports say that many of the female hostages have been raped in Gaza.

Alinejad highlighted a distressing similarity in the treatment of protesters by the Islamic Republic, citing incidents following the murder of Mahsa Amini at the hands of morality police. She emphasized that rape should never be used as a weapon of war and stressed the urgency of international unity to prevent further victimization.

Protesters who experienced sexual harassment and assault during the 2022 anti-government movement in Iran have shared their harrowing stories with Iran International. Both female and male victims, some as young as eighteen, revealed the widespread nature of sexual violence against detained protesters.

The US Department of State condemned reports of sexual assault against protesters, denouncing the Iranian regime's systematic use of sexual violence to “instill fear and silence victims as reprehensible.” The department praised the courage of Iranians standing against such actions and called for global support against such acts.