UNICEF calls for release of children detained during Iran protests

(UN News) The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for the immediate release of all children detained during the recent public unrest in Iran, expressing deep concern that minors arrested in connection with the protests remain behind bars. The unrest erupted in late December 2025 in cities across Iran over soaring inflation, rising food prices and the collapse of the national currency, resulting in a deadly and widespread security crackdown. In a statement on Thursday, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder said the agency was “deeply concerned by the reports that children arrested in connection with the recent public unrest in Iran remain in detention.”. “While the number of children currently detained, or the conditions of their detention cannot be verified, we urge that immediate, independent access be granted to all detained children to assess their situation, treatment, and well-being,” he said. – UNICEF calls for release of children detained during Iran protests | UN News