Published on 25 October 2018.
By Amir Tagati
The United States has imposed more sanctions on Iranian manufacturers because of their support for the Basij militia.
The Basij militia is said to be recruiting child soldiers from Afghanistan to fight on Iran’s behalf in Syria.
The reputation of the Basij force is horrific. During the Green Movement in Iran which was the result of the 2009 presidential election, the people were calling for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s removal from office. The protests during that time were the biggest ones since the 1979 revolution. The Iranian regime was clearly threatened by the strength and resolve of the people and it called on the Basij force to crack down on the protesters.
The civil unrest was significant and many people were arrested, injured, beaten, tortured and shot at by Basij members. As a result, many protesters were killed.
The Basij force is part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and it mainly consists of young volunteers who receive official benefits.
It is now coming to light that more and more poor Afghan refugees are being recruited to fight in Syria. The Iranian regime is taking advantage of the people that are fleeing the war in their own country and searching for a better life for their families.
Iran has many Afghan refugees and human rights organisations are very concerned about the number of refugee children that are as young as 14 that are going to war on Iran’s behalf. Whether the children are going voluntarily or whether they have been brainwashed or bribed to go is irrelevant – international law is very clear on the matter. Recruiting child soldiers that are less than 15 years-old is a war crime.
There have already been a number of reported deaths of refugee fighters including Afghan children.
The Basij force trains the refugees and they are then sent to work alongside the Fatemiyoun Division.
The Iranian regime provides the recruits with a small amount of money and food – something that makes a big difference to the refugees that are languishing in poverty. Their choice is to either continue suffering in poverty or go and fight for Iran and receive a small amount of money to help their families. Of course, the recruits are brainwashed and ideologically trained so that they become loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Iranian regime is no stranger to practices like this and it is something that the people of Iran are deeply ashamed of. Already they despise the regime’s interference in other nations in the region, but such war crimes are unbearable for the people.
The people of Iran have been protesting since the end of December last year. They have been calling on Iran to leave Syria and to concentrate on domestic issues that need urgent attention. But their ultimate goal is regime change. They want to put these disgusting practices behind them and move forward to a more positive future where they can experience freedom and democracy.
