Human rights group expresses concern over 'harassment' of Afghan refugees in Iran
Apr 10, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], April 10 : Expressing concern over the "harassment" of Afghan refugees in Iran, the Amnesty International, a human rights organisation, has called it a "blatant act of violation of human rights", reported local media.
In a conversation with Radio Free Afghanistan, Amnesty International campaigner in South Asia Samira Hamidi said that Iran's border guards force Afghan refugees by guns at borders and oust them from their country, reported Khaama Press.
"Reliable sources have confirmed torture and sexual harassment of Afghan refugees by border guards of Iran. The footages that show discriminatory, violent, and shocking act of Iranians towards Afghans in the country are a blatant act of violation of human rights," the media outlet quoted Hamidi as saying.
Hamidi added that Afghans are also facing issues regarding the extension of visas and payment systems and called on the international community to address the issue of Afghan refugees in Iran.
Earlier, a viral video had been circulating on social media platforms that showed how Afghan refugees were being "harassed" in the neighbouring country Iran. The video circulated showed the Afghan refugees being tortured and misbehaved in public.
However, refuting the reports of alleged harassment, Iran's embassy in Kabul in a press release said that the said report is a conspiracy to disturb bilateral relations with Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press.
Moreover, the Taliban also summoned the diplomats of the Iran embassy in Kabul to discuss the situation of Afghan refugees in Iran, according to Tolo News.
However, the Iran embassy's press counsellor has said that the Taliban should provide an environment conducive to avoiding the migration of people from Afghanistan.
"Around seven to eight million Afghan nationals went to Iran. The Afghan government should facilitate an environment so the people (Afghans) will not go to Iran," the media outlet quoted Sayed Abas Badrifar, the Iran embassy's press counsellor, as saying.
Meanwhile, since the Taliban took over, Afghanistan has not only seen a mass exodus but also the illegal crossings of Afghans into neighbouring countries like Iran via Nimroz province and Turkey. It also led to the killings of nearly 100 of them by the Iranian forces and were later deported to Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.
