 |
| Musa Barzin |
Musa Berzin Khalifali states that children's rights are systematically violated in Iran. In an interview with Voice of America, the South Azerbaijani lawyer emphasizes that Iran’s religious laws, based on Sharia, contradict the well-being of minors, especially girls.
"Iran’s laws allow the oppression of children’s rights, and there are provisions in the law against children," says the lawyer, who is living in exile in Turkey. He highlights that Iran’s legal system is based on Sharia principles, according to which a child is considered the property of the father.
According to the South Azerbaijani legal expert, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child with the condition that its provisions must comply with Sharia rules and the country’s internal laws. These conditions, however, have rendered the core objectives of the convention ineffective."
Musa Berzin points out that Iranian laws create a basis for the early marriage of girls, the corporal punishment of children, and the forced labor of minors. He also highlights that the Islamic Republic of Iran allows the execution of children.
Berzin Khalifali stresses that children face various hardships and dangers in Iranian prisons, where they are exposed to drugs and cases of sexual assault have been reported.
The South Azerbaijani lawyer also addresses the issue of school openings in Iran and criticizes the fact that non-Persian children are still forced to receive education in a language that is not their mother tongue. He considers this a clear example of the violation of children's rights.
Referring to international laws that prohibit the recruitment of children into military groups, Musa Berzin states that the presence of "student Basij," a faction of the Basij (a paramilitary volunteer militia force) in Iran, is a violation of international law.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Musa Bərzin: İran qanunları uşaq haqlarının pozulmasına zəmin yaradır