UNICEF’s Silence on Iran: Nobel Laureate Demands Action on Children’s Rights Abuses
Shirin Ebadi: UNICEF Headquarters Should Act Where Local Iran Office Has Failed
June 11, 2025 —Nobel Peace Prize laureate and renowned human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi has written a powerful appeal to UNICEF (the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) condemning the organization’s persistent silence in the face of severe, ongoing violations of children’s rights in Iran.
In her letter dated May 29, Ebadi expressed deep concern over the failure of UNICEF to speak out or intervene, despite maintaining a presence in Iran for years. She pointed to persistent and well-documented abuses, including the continued execution of juvenile offenders—an egregious breach of international law—as well as the government’s systemic neglect of children’s health, education, and safety.
In particular, Ebadi spotlighted the regime’s use of children as instruments of repression, citing the case of the 17-year-old son of prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who has faced harassment and intimidation due to his mother’s peaceful activism.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) strongly echoes Ebadi’s urgent call for UNICEF’s headquarters to act where its local Iran office has failed.
In addition to the targeting of dissidents’ children, the execution of children and juvenile offenders, and other issues raised by Ebadi, children in Iran are subjected to:
- Pervasive child marriage (allowed for girls at 13, younger with father/judge’s permission)
- Widespread child labor (millions are forced into unsafe, exploitative labor)
- Severely inadequate protections against violence (including physical and sexual abuse)
- Torture and abuse while detained for engaging in peaceful protest
CHRI calls on UNICEF to uphold its mandate and break its silence. The lives and futures of countless Iranian children depend on it.
Read Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi’s full letter below.
My Official Letter to the Head of UNICEF Regarding the Organization’s Negligence in Fulfilling Its Duties in Iran
To the Honorable Head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
With Respect,
As you are aware, the branch of your organization in Iran has been active for many years. However, for reasons unknown to myself and many of my compatriots, it has failed to take effective action in fulfilling its legal responsibilities. From the lack of protest against the execution of individuals under the age of 18—which has been repeatedly reported to UNICEF—to its disregard for the health and education of children and the content of educational materials, there are numerous issues in Iran that UNICEF should have addressed. Yet, we have witnessed nothing but silence from your organization, and it is for this reason that I address this letter to you directly, rather than to your branch in Iran.
One of the methods the Islamic Republic of Iran uses to pressure civil and political activists is the abuse of their children—detaining them under false pretenses in order to force the parents into silence or cooperation with the government.
Recently, a summons was issued for 17-year-old Nima Khandan to appear before a prosecutor over the baseless charge of insulting an officer at Evin Prison. He is the son of Nasrin Sotoudeh, who has spent years in prison and is currently out temporarily for medical treatment. Nima’s father, Reza Khandan, is also currently serving a six-year sentence in Evin Prison.
This case, based on a fabricated charge, has been brought solely to harass this civil activist family and force them into silence and compliance.
Given that judicial authorities in Iran do not adhere to the law or the principles of justice, I am writing to draw your attention to your organization’s responsibility to uphold children’s rights, as stipulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which the Islamic Republic of Iran is a party.
Shirin Ebadi
Attorney at Law and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, 2003
CC:
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran
