Children in the military, including state armed forces, non-state armed groups, and other military organizations, may be trained for combat, assigned to support roles, such as cooks, porters/couriers, or messengers, or used for tactical advantage such as for human shields, or for political advantage in propaganda and even sexual abuse. There is huge evidence that the Mujahedin Khalq (MEK/ PMOI), as a para-military organization has used child soldiers.
According to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), thousands of boys and girls are used as soldiers, cooks, spies and sex slaves in armed conflicts around the world. UNICEF defines child soldiers as “any child—boy or girl—under eighteen years of age, who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity.”
Trusting, vulnerable, and often intimidated, children can easily be manipulated, experts say. In combat, children can be daring and tenacious, particularly when under the influence of leaders of a cult of personality and their ideology or when compelled by political or religious zeal. Having been separated from their parents, children of the MEK were motivated by the group commanders to get back to Iraq to visit their parents after years but on the condition that they sign a document. They had to join the MEK’s army, the so-called National Liberation Army (NLA). So, they signed the recruitment paper and promised to fight for the group’s cause.
The MEK child soldiers were not only boys. A large number of girls also were employed by the MEK recruiters. Based on a UNICEF report, about 30 percent of armed groups using children include girls. Girls have vulnerabilities unique to their gender and place in society and suffer specific consequences. Asieh Rakhshani, Saba Haftbaradaran, Mahdieh Movahed, Faezeh Rajabi are the names of a few of MEK girls who were killed in armed conflicts. Alan Mohammadi and Neda Hassani committed suicide
Regardless of how children are recruited and of their roles, child soldiers are victims, whose participation in conflict bears serious implications for their physical and emotional well-being. They are commonly subject to abuse and most of them witness death, killing, and sexual violence. Many are forced to commit violent acts and some suffer serious long-term psychological consequences.
Former Child soldiers who have recently spoken out, have testified about most of the above-mentioned violation of human rights, in their testimonies. Amir Yaghmai, Amin Golamaryami and Ray Torabi were interviewed by the French newspaper, Le Monde a few months ago. The new documentary on MEK child victims, “Children of Camp Ashraf” was just released by Swedish TV channels and film festivals. And, there are many other contents on the violation of the rights of children involved with the MEK.
However, these are a few of hundreds of children who were separated from their parents, smuggled to the West and then again smuggled to Iraqi to attend the MEK’s military force. There are still a large number of young girls and boys who are in their thirties and forties, taken as hostages inside the MEK’s camp in Albania, isolated from the outside world. The reintegration of these young people into civilian life is an essential part of the work to help child soldiers rebuild their lives.
Mazda Parsi