- Summary of the Incident
Mohammad Hossein Dehghani, a three-year-old child, was critically injured during a criminal airstrike carried out by United States and Zionist regime forces in the city of Hamedan, Iran. The attack occurred on 24 February [Iranian calendar date: 24 Esfand] while the child was crossing an area known as the Sepah Square Bridge (Charagh-e Ghermez). Mohammad Hossein suffered severe wounds and was hospitalized for 36 days. Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries and was martyred.
His farewell ceremony took place on the evening of 23 April [2 Ordibehesht] after Maghrib and Isha prayers at Imamzadeh Abdullah in Hamedan. His funeral and burial will be held the following day in the city of Kermanshah.
- Legal Significance of the Killing of a Three-Year-Old
Under international humanitarian law, children under the age of fifteen are entitled to the highest level of protection. A three-year-old child is, by any legal standard, a non-combatant who can never be considered a military objective. The death of Mohammad Hossein constitutes a direct violation of:
- Article 51 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
- Article 38 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) , which requires warring parties to respect and protect children in armed conflicts.
- Article 6 of the CRC, which guarantees every child’s inherent right to life.
The fact that Mohammad Hossein was injured while simply passing through a public street—not near any military installation—indicates that the attacking forces either deliberately targeted a civilian area or failed to exercise any meaningful precaution to distinguish civilians from combatants. Both constitute grave breaches of international law.
III. The Significance of 36 Days of Suffering
The child’s 36-day hospitalization prior to death is legally relevant. Under international law, causing prolonged suffering to a civilian—particularly a young child—through an unlawful attack may constitute an additional violation. Mohammad Hossein endured weeks of medical procedures, pain, and separation from the normal life of a three-year-old before finally succumbing to his wounds. This period of suffering is a direct consequence of the initial unlawful strike.
- The Symbolic and Human Rights Dimension
Mohammad Hossein was three years old. He had not yet had the opportunity to play, laugh, attend school, or experience the ordinary joys of childhood. His death represents not only the loss of a single young life but also the destruction of all the years he would have lived. Under human rights law, every child has the right to survival and development. The killing of Mohammad Hossein—as with the six children mentioned in the Chaharbagh massacre—is part of a broader pattern of child casualties resulting from US-Zionist military operations against Iranian civilians.
- Conclusion and Call to Action
The martyrdom of three-year-old Mohammad Hossein Dehghani after 36 days of suffering is not merely a tragedy. It is a documented case of the unlawful killing of a child protected under international law.
The international community is called upon to:
- Add Mohammad Hossein’s name to the UN’s list of children killed in armed conflicts.
- Direct the Office of the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to investigate his case.
- Recognize that the killing of a three-year-old in a public street, far from any military target, is prima facie evidence of a war crime.
