WANA (Sep 04) – In the western regions of Iran, terrorist and separatist groups exploit the economic and social conditions of Kurdish children and adolescents, trapping them and using them as tools to achieve their goals. These accounts portray the tragedies these children face.

 

In recent years, numerous reports have emerged of terrorist groups along Iran’s western borders deceiving or kidnapping Kurdish children and adolescents. These reports reveal that these groups transport Kurdish children and teenagers to their terrorist bases, subjecting them to harsh conditions and cruel exploitation. These groups even prevent families from meeting their children, effectively holding many young people hostage.

 

The primary targets of these separatist terrorist groups, present along Iran’s western borders, are vulnerable children and adolescents. Facing a severe manpower shortage due to Iran’s effective counter-terrorism efforts and the resulting insecurity in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, these groups are in a critical crisis for manpower.

Kurdish children and adolescents Terrorist Groups in the Death Camps

The Trap of Deception

These separatist groups lure teenagers with false promises of free education, a better life, and a bright future. Such promises are particularly influential in impoverished and remote areas, convincing many families to entrust their children to these groups.

 

Due to their circumstances, these children and teenagers are easily deceived, falling for false promises of a prosperous life and education in Europe.

 

Life in the Death Camps

After joining these groups, children and teenagers face extremely harsh and inhumane conditions. Shuga, who joined a group at the age of 19, has reported the horrifying conditions in these groups’ camps.

 

She speaks of violent military training and exhausting labor. These camps are located in remote and impoverished areas, designed in such a way that any contact with the outside world is severely restricted.

 

Horrifying Realities

The experiences of Munib, another escapee who joined the group at the age of 9, reveal horrifying realities. He describes how the group deceives both minors and adults, recruiting them with false claims and taking them to their bases.

Kurdish children and adolescents Terrorist Groups in the Death Camps

“They promised my sister and me a life and education in Europe, but they took us to a place where we only suffered. I spent four months, and my sister a year and three months in the group’s camps. The hardships I endured there are unforgettable. We were forced into military service, and from the start, we were subjected to training far beyond our capacity. We were in a region where we constantly expected to die from a dynamite or mine explosion. I witnessed one of my friends being torn apart right in front of me, and I had to collect his body parts. This is a memory I can never erase.”

 

Fruitless Efforts

The families of these children, desperate to rescue them and bring them home, seek help from international organizations and various governments. Many of these families have not received support from human rights organizations or NGOs, facing numerous challenges as a result.

 

For instance, Azhin’s family is struggling with financial and legal issues in their efforts to rescue their daughter from the clutches of these groups. The groups prevent the return of these children with various threats, including severe punishment.

 

Real stories, such as those of Shuga, Munib, and Azhin, highlight the bitter and difficult realities of this situation. Munib, who joined the group at a young age and faced direct violence and psychological pressure, and Shuga, who endured severe physical and psychological torture, are examples of children whose lives have been completely altered by these groups’ activities.

Kurdish children and adolescents Terrorist Groups in the Death Camps

Separatist terrorist groups, through lies and exploitation of social and economic conditions, lead to bitter and hopeless fates for children and adolescents.

 

To end this tragedy, serious and effective action is needed from international organizations and the countries hosting these groups, to free these children and teenagers from the clutches of terrorists and return them to a safe and healthy life.

 

The families and deceived children of terrorist and separatist groups along the western borders of the country are living evidence of an important reality: the destination of the terrorists’ fabricated promises is the death camps.