TEHRAN: Iran mobilisation drive officials are involving children under 15 in parts of the Janfada campaign while denying that minors receive formal weapons training, spokesman Sasan Zare said.
Zare told Iranian news agency ILNA that the campaign’s main volunteer organisation centres on adults aged 18 and older.
However, he said younger children could learn about patriotism, responsibility, first aid, safety and military-related concepts.
He said registered Janfada participants were over 15. For younger children, Zare described the emphasis as building what authorities call a culture of patriotism, self-sacrifice and resistance.
The campaign began in late March as Iranian authorities expanded civilian mobilisation during the war. Recruitment and public events have involved mosques and Basij facilities.
The involvement of minors has drawn scrutiny from rights groups. Amnesty International said in April that it had verified photographs, videos and witness accounts showing children as young as 12 at Basij-linked checkpoints, patrols and state-organised events.
Read: Iran State TV Shows Rifle Training as War Fears Rise
It described recruitment of children under 15 into armed forces as a violation of international humanitarian law amounting to a war crime.
Amnesty also cited Iranian law allowing children under 15 to become ordinary Basij members, while those aged 15 and above can qualify as active members after training.
Read: Iran Jan-Fada Mobilisation Claims 313,000 Tehran Turnout
Asked about teenagers serving at checkpoints, Zare said those deployments were controlled by local police and security organisations rather than the Janfada campaign itself.
The comments followed a large government-organised Janfada rally in Tehran on September 18, where hundreds of thousands participated in a broader mobilisation campaign.
