Underage Girls and Illicit Drug Distribution in Iran

In recent weeks, the Tehran Municipality has decided to close several care centers catering for working and street children, as well as those with incarcerated parents, amid evidence pointing to a lack of support for vulnerable children in the Iranian capital and other cities. 

The closed centers include the Nasser Khosro Children's House, Navid Mehr Children and Family Support Center. 

Institutions tasked with providing assistance to at-risk children appear to be falling short, with the participation of many children, particularly girls, in the illegal drug distribution network being of particular concern. 

Their age often shields them from suspicion by law enforcement. 

"Disturbingly, drugs are being concealed even within the clothing and bodies of girls as young as 7 or 8 years old," a children’s rights advocate in East Azerbaijan province tells IranWire.

According to the activist, the indifference exhibited by judicial and law enforcement institutions toward vulnerable children is not only "disheartening but also appears to be deliberate and systematic."

This indifference stems from a belief that "these children are somehow deserving of their dire circumstances," she said.

Meanwhile, children’s rights advocates are seen with suspicion by the authorities. 

"In encounters ranging from interrogations to professional meetings, intelligence and security agencies often question my involvement, suggesting that I redirect my focus and lead a quieter existence."

This activist’s mission is to find and assist at-risk children in the marginalized areas of East Azerbaijan. 

His work has brought him face to face with a considerable number of children whose addicted parents partake in the distribution of narcotics within the fringes of Tabriz, the provincial capital. 

These children were abandoned on the streets after their parents had been incarcerated or taken to rehab centers. 

The activist shares the story of a child who found refuge under the care of compassionate neighbors when both parents were taken to custody. 

He also narrates the story of two siblings aged 8 and 9 who were entrusted to welfare services after their parents were arrested for engaging in drug-related transactions. 

Shockingly, the Welfare organization returned these innocent children to their addicted parents after their release. 

Activists’ appeals urging the provincial judicial authorities to help distressed parents and their children were ultimately met with rebuke.

"Their sole preoccupation and inquiry were directed at questioning the motives behind our search for these children and our pursuit of these issues." 

According to information obtained by IranWire through citizen journalists, many children living in marginalized areas of East Azerbaijan have found themselves embroiled in the intricate web of drug distribution and trade. 

Some of these children were referred to the Welfare organization after school staff found drugs on them.

In the marginalized enclaves of East Azerbaijan province, girls have become disproportionately ensnared in the activities of drug procurement, trade and distribution because smugglers believe that girls draw less suspicion than boys.

When parents who are either drug addicts or involved in the narcotics trade are arrested, the institutions responsible for their welfare fail to formulate comprehensive plans for the well-being of their children, according to the children’s rights advocate interviewed by IranWire. 

"In numerous instances, these children find themselves under the care of neighbors or distant relatives and are exposed to sexual and emotional exploitation," he says. "At times, these innocent children are entrusted to individuals who subject them to perilous situations. Even though the judiciary is well aware of these individuals' involvement in the drug distribution network, it inexplicably leaves the child in their custody."