"In countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Nigeria, Somalia, and Syria, hundreds of children may be detained at any given time for alleged conflict-related offenses. Many children are detained on the basis of groundless suspicion, flimsy evidence, or broad security sweeps. Some are detained because of alleged terrorist activities by family members. They are often denied access to lawyers and relatives, and the opportunity to challenge the basis of their detention before a judge," Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report.
According to the report, the children are often exposed to coercive interrogations and torture as they are being extracted intelligence information. The conditions of detention are "frequently appalling," which also puts them at additional risk of physical and sexual violence.
The long-term effects of such detention are "profound," such as growing up without family care, no or limited access to education, bad depression, resulting in poor ability to integrate, the report stressed.
In recent years, a number of countries, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, have been engulfed in conflict, particularly, over religious or ethnic reasons, as well as the dissatisfaction over the government. The instability in the region contributed to an advance of various terrorist groups, such as Daesh, which is outlawed in Russia, and its regional affiliates.
