Iran says children were among those arrested in nationwide protest crackdown

On Jan. 30, 2026, Iran said for the first time that children were among those arrested in a nationwide crackdown on recent protests, with Farshad Ebrahimpour, the deputy chairman of parliament’s education commission, telling the semiofficial Iranian Labor News Agency that a “number” of students under 18 had been detained.

Ebrahimpour did not specify how many children were arrested or how long they would remain in custody. Rights groups monitoring the unrest say at least 300 children, adolescents and students were detained during the protests. The protests, which began with economic grievances in December and expanded into a broader anti‑regime movement, appear to have been largely crushed, including with deadly force, and the government has been carrying out new arrests and bolstering its security presence in schools.

It has been difficult to document events because the government shut down the internet and restricted communications, though sporadic bursts of connection have allowed some details to emerge. Iran’s National Security Council gave an official death toll of 3,117; the U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency has verified 6,479 deaths, including 118 children, and said its verification process is continuing.

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