Families Forced to Carry Out Secret Burials, Banned from Publicly Mentioning Their Children’s Names

Teacher Associations Across Iran Express Outrage, Call for International Action

Center for Human Rights in Iran

February 12, 2026 — At least 216 children were killed during the Islamic Republic’s brutal crackdown on protesters in January 2026, when Iranian security forces unleashed live ammunition, military-grade weapons, knives, and machetes to kill thousands of protesting civilians.

Hundreds of children have also been arbitrarily detained, subjected to enforced disappearance, and denied access to their families and legal counsel.

“If the global community fails to respond decisively when more than 200 schoolchildren are gunned down and buried in secret, it enables the gravest of crimes to be committed with impunity,” said Bahar Ghandehari, director of advocacy at the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).

“Hundreds of children are dead. Hundreds more are in detention and at grave risk of terrible abuses in state custody. This is a human rights emergency. The international community must urgently apply coordinated diplomatic and political pressure to demand the immediate release of all detained children and launch independent investigations to ensure accountability for their killings,” Ghandehari said.

The number of children killed and detained represents only what is known at this time. Due to the massive scale of the state’s violence across the country, ongoing repression, and the widespread communication blackouts, the full death toll is expected to increase. Overall, so far, HRANA has confirmed at least 6,506 protesters killed, in addition to the 215 children, with an additional 11,730 deaths under review.

CHRI calls on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, UNICEF, and governments worldwide to:

• Forcefully condemn the lethal targeting of children by the Islamic Republic’s security forces;
• Impose targeted sanctions and pursue prosecution under universal jurisdiction of all state officials involved in the ordering or carrying out of these killings;
• Demand the immediate disclosure of the names, locations, and status of all detained children, and provide immediate access to their families and chosen lawyers;
• Demand the immediate release of all children detained during the recent protests;
• Refer Iran’s crimes against children to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and its conduct to international mechanisms on enforced disappearances.

Teacher Organizations Across Iran Express Rage and Grief Over Killings

On February 8, 2026, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations released the names of 200 schoolchildren despite intense pressure and threats from the Iranian authorities to keep them silent, and called on international bodies, including UNICEF, the United Nations, and the UN Human Rights Council, to uphold their responsibility to protect children, investigate these grave violations, and hold the Islamic Republic accountable.

“These 200 children, each a student with dreams, rights, and a future, were taken by bullets, deprivation, and systematic violence. Their deaths are not isolated tragedies; they are the result of a deliberate policy that has rendered childhood, education, and life itself expendable.

“After extinguishing their lives, the authorities tried to erase their memory: banning the mention of their names, carrying out secret burials, and denying the truth of their killing.”

Mohammad Habibi, a prominent labor activist, teacher, and spokesperson for the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, said:

“With the number reaching 200, they have, effectively, massacred an entire school. Imagine this: the school bell rings, but the yard is empty. 200 students. 200 backpacks. 200 futures laid to rest beneath the soil. This list is the failing report card of a government that answered questions with bullets.

“Every day we tell ourselves that this will be the last list…But tomorrow morning, new names arrive again.”

“The Islamic Republic still has no language for dialogue with the nation other than fire and punishment.”

The Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association in Tehran said in a statement on January 31, 2026:

“After nearly half a century of rule, the Islamic Republic still has no language for dialogue with the nation other than fire and punishment. Once again, the regime is attempting—through media propaganda and recycled “foreign agents” narratives, a worn-out and failed tactic tested since the 1980s—to wash the stain of these atrocities from its hands; oblivious to the fact that these lies are no longer even believable to the regime’s few remaining supporters.

“In less than a week, one of the bloodiest chapters of repression in contemporary Iranian history has unfolded. Tens of thousands of children, women, and men have been drenched in blood, and thousands more remain in security detention centers and prisons under the most inhumane conditions.”

“Continued presence of security, clerical, and Basij forces in schools amounts to a final blow to the education system.”

In a statement on February 11, 2026, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations reported the presence of government forces inside schools following the street crackdown, citing testimonies that point to a systematic nationwide pattern.

“According to incoming reports, following the protests of January 8 and 9, schools have effectively become backyards of security institutions. Eyewitnesses report that individuals outside the educational staff—introduced as Basij forces, religious preachers, and plainclothes agents—have entered schools with pre-arranged agendas.

“Their mission, according to reports, has not been education but rather ‘ideological screening’ and the exertion of psychological pressure on students. These actions have transformed schools, which should serve as a child’s ‘second home’ and safe haven, into centers of tension and fear.

“Repeated interrogations, threatening questions, and the cultivation of a sense of ‘constant surveillance’ have effectively shifted schools from supportive institutions into sources of threat. Psychologists and school counselors, in messages to the Council, have warned that this trend is creating a sense of “institutional rejection”—a condition in which students perceive themselves not as valued members of the school community but as “security subjects.”

“An immediate consequence of this situation, according to reports, has been a rise in school absenteeism and a sharp decline in academic motivation.

“We call for the immediate withdrawal of all non-educational personnel from schools. Schools are not barracks. End the militarization of the educational environment so that schools can once again become safe spaces for Iran’s children.”

“The ruling authorities bear direct responsibility for the massacre.”

In a statement on January 31, 2026, the Teachers’ Trade Association in Harsin said:

“For more than four decades, we, the suffering people of Iran, have cried out in simple, understandable language with a clear voice that the lives of Iranians have revolved around poverty, hardship, insult, humiliation, the erosion of human dignity, and the decline of social values! Wake up and, before it is too late, listen to the voices of the angry, desperate, and protesting people.

“Yet, you have paid no attention to the protests of the people, the gatherings of retirees, the dissenting groups, and their legitimate demands, and have instead driven the very foundation of people’s lives into tragedies of massacres and continuous bloody repression.”

“Accordingly, the Council clearly states that:

1. 1. The ruling authorities bear direct responsibility for the massacre and bloody repression of the people and must, instead of spreading lies and shifting blame, be held accountable for these crimes before the Iranian public and independent international bodies.
   2. All detainees, including students, teachers, and labor and civil activists, must be released immediately and unconditionally.
   3. The militarization of schools, universities, and educational spaces must cease immediately. Education is not a battlefield.
   4. We call on all awakened consciences around the world to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran and not remain silent in the face of this state brutality.

“History has taught us that justice ultimately prevails, and those who today order repression will be cast into the dustbin of history and will inevitably be held accountable. What matters is which side of history we choose to stand on, the side of justice and enduring legacy, or the side of despots and oppressors.”

The Gilan Teachers’ Trade Association in Gilan Province also condemned the use of violence in a statement on February 3, 2026, saying:

“It is self-evident that peaceful protest is the undeniable right of the people. Continued repression will not resolve the existing crises; rather, it will deepen social divisions and intensify public suffering and mistrust. The only path out of the current situation is respect for the fundamental rights of the people, listening to the voices of protesters, and adherence to the principles of justice, law, and human dignity.”

The following list was published by the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations and includes the names of 200 schoolchildren who were killed by the Islamic Republic’s security forces during protests:

1. ابوالفضل دهقانی — Abolfazl Dehghani
2. امیر علی پرویزی — Amir Ali Parvizi
3. مصطفی سرافراز اردکانی — Mostafa Sarafraz Ardakani
4. امیرحسین دولت‌آبادی — Amir Hossein Dolatabadi
5. کیاوش میرقاسمی — Kiavash Mirghasemi
6. غزل جان‌قربان — Ghazal Janghorban
7. محمدرضا مدنی — Mohammad Reza Madani
8. بهار حسینی — Bahar Hosseini
9. طاها صفری — Taha Safari
10. امیرحسام خدایاری — Amirhesam Khodayari
11. مصطفی فلاحی — Mostafa Fallahi
12. امیرعلی حیدری — Amir Ali Heydari
13. سینا اشکبوسی — Sina Ashkboosi
14. مهرداد صادقی — Mehrdad Sadeghi
15. بنیامین محمدی — Benyamin Mohammadi
16. ابوالفضل بیگ‌محمدی — Abolfazl Big-Mohammadi
17. آرنیکا دباغ — Arnika Dabbagh
18. امیرسالار بهمنی‌نژاد — Amirsalar Bahmaninejad
19. ابوالفضل بختیارپور دورکی — Abolfazl Bakhtiarpour Dorki
20. برنا دهقانی — Borna Dehghani
21. ابوالفضل باجول — Abolfazl Bajoul
22. ریبین مرادی — Rêbin Moradi
23. ملینا اسدی — Melina Asadi
24. بهار شادمهری — Bahar Shadmehri
25. آرین قاسمی — Arian Ghasemi
26. نارنین‌زهرا صالحی — Narnin-Zahra Salehi
27. رهام سعادتی — Roham Saadati
28. جبار پناهی آزاد — Jabbar Panahi Azad
29. کیمیا کامیاب — Kimia Kamyab
30. میلاد حسن‌زاده — Milad Hassanzadeh
31. آرمین سلطان‌محمدی — Armin Soltan-Mohammadi
32. فائزه ایزدی — Faezeh Izadi
33. دیاکو محمدی — Diako Mohammadi
34. آرمین وفایی — Armin Vafaei
35. مانی شفیعی — Mani Shafiei
36. امیرمهدی کشاورز — Amir Mehdi Keshavarz
37. مهدی گنج‌دانش — Mehdi Ganjdanesh
38. طاها نادری — Taha Naderi
39. معین تقی‌پور — Moein Taghipour
40. پویا جعفری — Pouya Jafari
41. علی اباذری — Ali Abazari
42. محمدحسین پرنون — Mohammadhossein Parnoun
43. علی مهری — Ali Mehri
44. شایان اسدی — Shayan Asadi
45. ماهان رستمی — Mahan Rostami
46. علی‌محمد صادقی — Ali-Mohammad Sadeghi
47. ابوالفضل عزیزی — Abolfazl Azizi
48. جاوید رضایی — Javid Rezaei
49. حذیفه اوستاخ — Hozeyfeh Ostakh
50. نیما نجفی — Nima Najafi
51. آرین عشقی — Arian Eshghi
52. سعید رضایی — Saeed Rezaei
53. مسعود کریم — Masoud Karim
54. محمد یاسین داودنبی — Mohammad Yasin Davood Nabi
55. آنیلا ابوطالبیان — Anila Aboutalebian
56. غزل دمرچلی — Ghazal Damarcheli
57. مەهنا دودوشکانی — Mehna Doodoshkani
58. مصطفی میرزایی — Mostafa Mirzaei
59. آروین سالمی‌راد — Arvin Salemi-Rad
60. مهدی مختاری بایگی — Mehdi Mokhtari Bayegi
61. ابوالفضل قلعه‌گری — Abolfazl Ghaleh-Gari
62. عباس کلهر — Abbas Kalaher
63. امیررضا نوروزی — Amir Reza Norouzi
64. امیرحسین قراگزلی — Amirhossein Gharaghezli
65. ابوالفضل شیخ‌ویسی — Abolfazl Sheikh-Veisi
66. ایوالفضل جاهدی — Ivalfazl Jahedi
67. سیما ملکی — Sima Maleki
68. سام صحبت‌زاده — Sam Sohbatzadeh
69. امیرحسین حضرتی — Amir Hossein Hazrati
70. امیرحسین دونلو — Amirhossein Donlou
71. امیرعلی قنبرزاده — Amir Ali Ghanbarzadeh
72. مهدی ضیایی — Mehdi Ziaei
73. نیما عباسی یزدی — Nima Abbasi Yazdi
74. بنیامین علیزاده — Benyamin Alizadeh
75. رضا غیاثی — Reza Ghiasi
76. متین عباسی — Matin Abbasi
77. کامران علیزاده — Kamran Alizadeh
78. علی آرمند — Ali Armand
79. سهند ناصری کتکی — Sahand Nasseri Kataki
80. مسیح شاهوردی — Masih Shahvardi
81. امیرحسین مرادی — Amirhossein Moradi
82. نازنین اسمی‌خانی — Nazanin Esmikhani
83. ابوالفضل نوروزی — Abolfazl Norouzi
84. مهیار کاکازاده — Mahyar Kakazadeh
85. سودا اکرمی‌فر — Soda Akramifar
86. هێمن محمدی — Hêman Mohammadi
87. محمدحسین ساریخانی — Mohammadhossein Sarikhani
88. ایمان فرعی — Iman Far’i
89. مسیح بیگدکی — Masih Bigdaki
90. نیما جعفری — Nima Jafari
91. میلاد تیموری — Milad Teymouri
92. امیرمحمد لطفی — Amir Mohammad Lotfi
93. محمدپویا کریم‌آبادی — Mohammad Pouya Karimabadi
94. سهیل فتوحی — Soheil Fotouhi
95. اسرا طاوسی‌نیا — Esra Tavousinia
96. سامیار علی‌پور — Samyar Alipour
97. ثنا توسنگی — Sana Tousangi
98. محمدمهدی صفری — Mohammad Mehdi Safari
99. ساجده کریمی — Sajedeh Karimi
100. امیرعباس مومنی — Amirabbas Momeni
101. ایلیا قدسی — Ilya Ghoddusi
102. پرنیان دلیری‌آبکناری — Parnian Deliri-Abkenari
103. ارشیا عسکری — Arshia Askari
104. محمد طاها سپهوند — Mohammad Taha Sepahvand
105. امیرحسین محمدزاده — Amirhossein Mohammadzadeh
106. ابوالفضل موسوی — Abolfazl Mousavi
107. رضا امیری — Reza Amiri
108. امیرعلی ذاکری — Amir Ali Zakari
109. یلدا محمدخانی — Yalda Mohammadi
110. ستایش صمدی — Setayesh Samadi
111. عرفان حسن‌نژاد — Erfan Hassannejad
112. احمد رعنایی — Ahmad Ranaei
113. رضا کاووسی — Reza Kavousi
114. نیما کدخدایی — Nima Kadkhodaei
115. محمد یزدانی — Mohammad Yazdani
116. امیرحسین سرتیپی — Amirhossein Sartipi
117. سجاد خالق‌زاده — Sajjad Khaleghzadeh
118. پارسا بیرانوند — Parsa Beiranvand
119. پارسا لرستانی — Parsa Lorestani
120. امیرمحمد سگوند — Amir Mohammad Sagvand
121. نیما نینواپور — Nima Ninavapour
122. نیما عباسی — Nima Abbasi
123. ابوالفضل رجایی — Abolfazl Rajaei
124. رامتین میرزادخت — Ramtin Mirzadokht
125. نیوشا حمیدی — Niousha Hamidi
126. پارسا امینی — Parsa Amini
127. کسری وفاپور — Kasra Vafapour
128. امیرعلی فلاح‌پور — Amir Ali Fallahpour
129. امیرمسعود احمدی — Amir Masoud Ahmadi
130. شیوا جاوید — Shiva Javid
131. محمدرضا علیزاده‌نسب — Mohammadreza Alizadeh-Nasab
132. مهرداد ابراهیمی — Mehrdad Ebrahimi
133. مانی هداوند — Mani Hadavand
134. ابوالفضل وحیدی — Abolfazl Vahidi
135. سودابه سربندی — Soudabeh Sarbandi
136. رضا مرادی — Reza Moradi
137. پویا درخشان — Pouya Derakhshan
138. مبین یعقوب‌زاده — Mobin Yaghoubzadeh
139. پارسا معدنچیان — Parsa Madanchian
140. سام افشاری — Sam Afshari
141. عرفان فرجی — Erfan Faraji
142. پدرام خالویی — Pedram Khalouei
143. طاها هوشیار — Taha Houshyar
144. امیرعباس رضابخش — Amirabbas Rezabakhsh
145. علی غلاملو — Ali Gholamloo
146. فردوسی شهریار — Ferdowsi Shahryar
147. علی‌اصغر حسینی — Ali-Asghar Hosseini
148. زهرا معبودی‌زرنق — Zahra Maboodi-Zarnagh
149. علی‌رضا ولی‌پور — Alireza Valipour
150. حسن مقامی — Hassan Moghami
151. حسین کایدی — Hossein Kaidi
152. علی حسن‌زاده — Ali Hassanzadeh
153. امیرعلی پهلوان‌زاده — Amir Ali Pahlavanzadeh
154. امیرعلی صیامی — Amir Ali Siamy
155. امیرعلی یحیایی — Amir Ali Yahyaei
156. رسول کدیوریان — Rasoul Kadivarian
157. رضا کدیوریان — Reza Kadivarian
158. محمد نوری — Mohammad Nouri
159. امیر یکتائی‌یگانه — Amir Yektaei-Yeganeh
160. محمدرضا قلی‌وند — Mohammadreza Gholivand
161. علی‌رضا پارسافر — Alireza Parsafar
162. آرش احمدوند — Arash Ahmadvand
163. سینا لواسانی — Sina Lavasani
164. آیناز رحیمی حاجی‌آبادی — Ainaz Rahimi Hajiabadi
165. طاها صادقی گزنی — Taha Sadeghi Ghazni
166. محمد امین اکبریان — Mohammad Amin Akbarian
167. سهیل الماسی — Soheil Almasi
168. علی یغمورلو — Ali Yaghmourlou
169. علی محمدی — Ali Mohammadi
170. محمدصالح کنشلو — Mohammad Saleh Koneshlou
171. جواد کاظمی — Javad Kazemi
172. محمد سلطانی‌فر — Mohammad Soltani-Far
173. علی امیردادی — Ali Amirdadi
174. محمد متین باقری — Mohammad Matin Bagheri
175. مهدی مهمدی کرتلایی — Mehdi Mohamadi Kartalaei
176. فاطمه‌رها تاجیان — Fatemeh-Raha Tajian
177. اسماعیل پیشرو — Esmail Pishro
178. محمد ابراهیم بختیاری — Mohammad Ebrahim Bakhtiari
179. امیر حسین سرباز — Amir Hossein Sarbaz
180. سروش اسحاقی — Soroush Eshaghi
181. آرمان گرجیان — Arman Gorjian
182. علیرضا سیدی — Alireza Seydi
183. علیرضا صیدی — Alireza Seidi
184. یاسین الهی — Yasin Elahi
185. نوید ناظمی ملکی — Navid Nazemi Maleki
186. یزدان افروغ — Yazdan Forough
187. ابوالفضل یغموری — Abolfazl Yaghmouri
188. محمد رضا قربانی — Mohammadreza Ghorbani
189. مانی صفرپور — Mani Safarpour
190. سمیرا خانی — Samira Khani
191. حسنی شهدوستی — Hasani Shahdosti
192. امیرعلی مولایی — Amirali Molaei
193. امیرمهدی نعمتی‌نژاد — Amir Mehdi Nemati-Nejad
194. ملیکا شاهمرادی — Melika Shahmoradi
195. امیرعلی موذنی — Amirali Mozani
196. آروین مرادی — Arvin Moradi
197. عرشیا نرج‌آبادی — Arshia Narj-Abadi
198. امیریکتا — Amir Yekta
199. علی مناتی — Ali Manati
200. دانیال داداشیار رازلیقی — Danial Dadashyar Razlighi

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