Iranian militias exploited children in Deir ez-Zor
Many of these children have been hospitalized after consuming experimental drug doses at the Iranian-operated al-Salloum Hospital. Tragically, several cases have resulted in fatalities.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), Iranian-backed militias in Deir ez-Zor, northeastern Syria, have been implicated in appalling human rights abuses, including the exploitation of children for drug experiments and trafficking.
The militias reportedly used scrap collectors as conduits for promoting narcotics and employed children as test subjects to gauge the potency of drug mixtures.
These children were also groomed and trained to participate in drug trafficking operations. SOHR revealed that the militias had divided Deir ez-Zor into six sectors, each controlled by a scrap dealer overseeing more than 50 children.
Reports detail a disturbing pattern of child disappearances, particularly among scrap collectors who earned approximately $150 per month. Many of these children have been hospitalized after consuming experimental drug doses at the Iranian-operated al-Salloum Hospital. Tragically, several cases have resulted in fatalities.
One notorious figure linked to these atrocities is Fareed Assi, a Lebanese operative who allegedly orchestrated the drug experiments. Families of the victims were coerced into silence, with some members detained or killed after refusing to comply.
Notably, a child from the Saud family succumbed to a drug overdose in November 2023. When the family exposed the story to the media, the militias detained 18 family members, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Further incidents highlight the militias' impunity. On Nov. 17, 2023, four children were abducted during an outing organized by the Iranian Cultural Center to Karamish Park. The children died after being subjected to drug tests, and their families were forced to retrieve their bodies from al-Salloum Hospital under duress.
According to SOHR, similar cases occurred on Nov. 15, 2023, March 15, 2024, and June 5, 2024, when overdoses claimed the lives of other children.
The Iranian presence in Syria, bolstered during the rule of Bashar al-Assad's regime, facilitated these operations. However, the regime's collapse on Dec. 8, 2024, marked a significant turning point.
Despite this, the legacy of their influence continues to reverberate, leaving a trail of devastation and unresolved crimes in its wake.