At least 50 minors killed in Iran over participating in protests

The Iranian government’s crackdown on demonstrators asking for social freedom and political change that has rocked the country for the past two months has had a severe impact on the country’s youth, reports The New York Times.

Human rights advocates and lawyers familiar with the situation have talked about the affect on the country, where the average age of protestors is said to be just 15-years-old. In an effort to quell dissent, authorities have raided schools and carried out arrests, beatings in custody, shootings and killing of protestors on the streets. The lives of countless others have been disrupted in other ways.

The authorities are targeting thousands of minors under the age of 18, for taking part in the protests. Human rights groups in Iran have said that at least 50 minors have been killed by government authorities since the protests started.

Following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, in the custody of the morality police in September, the country has witnessed daily rallies, primarily spearheaded by women, calling for an end to the rule of hard-line clerics.