While terrorist armed groups continue to recruit Syrian children, boys and gi...

While terrorist armed groups continue to recruit Syrian children, boys and girls for their military operations, the relevant authorities in the Syrian Government are taking legal action with regard to these recruited children, in accordance with the law on the recruitment of children adopted on 6 May 2013, which criminalizes those who recruit children to take part in any form of combat. That is punishable by a term of 10 to 20 years of hard labour, reaching a life sentence if the child dies while in combat. It is very important to underscore that this law deals with the recruited children as victims by virtue of the juvenile code under Syrian law. They are placed in social protection centres, rather than in detention centres, where they reside until they face a fair trial and are immediately referred to rehabilitation institutions in cooperation with civil society and under the supervision of expert mentors.