Concluding Observations Committee on the Rights of the Child CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4 para
66
Full recommendation:
The Committee recommends that the State party take measures to provide adequate living
conditions in prisons for all mothers with children and that it ensure that prison has the most
limited effect possible on children’s mental and physical development.
Assessment using Impact Iran indicators1
Article 69 of Iran’s prisons organisation’s bylaws gives mothers the right to stay with their child
until the child’s 2nd birthday, after which the child can either attend a daycare for children aged 2
to 6 that prison authorities are obliged to establish, or attend an institution under the supervision
of the State Welfare Organisation2. Specific information and statistics are not available on the
programs and facilities that are needed to meet the physical and mental needs of children.3
According to government sources, there were over 2,300 children living in Iranian prisons with
their mothers as of 20174, although this number is expected to be much higher. At the same time,
there are certain cases in which children are removed from the care of their mothers by welfare
officials if those officials decide that the child is not bonding with the mother. 5
According to reports by human rights organisations, there are only six nurseries operating around
Iranian prisons, despite the fact that there are 19 prisons that house children alongside their
imprisoned mothers.6 The operating hours of these nurseries have also been raised as an issue by
rights organisations, who note that these nurseries close early during the day and are not
operating on weekends.7
It is difficult to gauge the effect that prison might have on the mental and physical development
of children as there is limited information on this issue, though reports indicate that prison
conditions in Iranian prisons are not ideal for children: lack of hygiene, proper nutrition and
general condition of disrepair and overcrowding of Iranian prisons is been documented by rights
agencies.8 Iranian children are also victims of incarcerated drug dealers who reportedly threaten
them to pressure their mothers into buying drugs.9
1 CRC.19.1.S.1; CRC.19.1.S.2; CRC.19.1.P.1; CRC.19.1.P.2; CRC.19.2.O.1.
2
http://prisons.ir/page-main/fa/0/form/pId77
3
www.irna.ir/news/83412754/
4
https://www.radiofarda.com/a/f7-more-than-2300-children-living-in-Iran-prisons/28632414.html
5
COIPI: https://coipi.org/blog/2019/02/01/iranian-toddlers-are-used-to-sell-drugs-inside-prisons/
6
Ibid.
7
Ibid.
8
Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/iran/report-iran/
9
Kayhan Life: https://kayhanlife.com/society/human-rights/iranian-toddlers-are-used-to-sell-drugs-inside-prisons-charity-says/