The Foreign Ministry has summoned Iranian Ambassador after the news reports about killing of nine Afghan travelers by Iranian border guards. According to unconfirmed reports, dozens were killed when Iranian border forces opened fire on Afghans who were entering Iran illegally. The Ministry has sent a delegation to Iran’s Khurasan Province to investigate the incident.

Unfortunately such reports are regular occurrence on border with Iran. Their border guards open fire on Afghans who illegally enter the country for work. The Government has promised investigation on all times, but so far none of it has been released to public or any of the cases further raised with Iranian officials seriously. 

Silence and inaction of the Government about lives of thousands of Afghans on death row in Iran is utter disregard to the miseries of Afghan refugees abroad. Recently despite heavy media criticism, the government has not taken the issue seriously with Iranian officials.

Similarly, the Government has yet to raise the question about fate of thousands of Afghans waiting on death row in Iranian detention centers. There are about 2000 Afghans in custody in Iranian jails waiting for capital punishment. Despite the fact that under a cooperation agreement, Tehran is bound to inform the Government of Afghanistan about arrested Afghans and their crimes, the Government does not know about exact number of those waiting to be executed. The criminal silence is beyond understanding.

Afghans are not given rights to challenge the allegations against them in court. Those executed were not provided with lawyers.

There is a prisoner exchange agreement between Afghanistan and Iran, but Tehran has never let it be acted upon. The Government should take up this issue on high levels and pressurize Iranian officials to send those imprisoned Afghans back to Afghanistan. Or the Government should provide legal assistance to defend them in Iranian courts.

Death of ordinary Afghan laborers by Iranian border security guards comes to media attention once in a while. There have been several incidents when those who attempt to cross the border illegally for work are fired upon by security forces and killed.

The issue is beyond capacity of our ineffective and careless rulers. We strongly demand the international community and the United Nations to take notice of the situation of Afghans in Iran, particularly those thousands prisoners who are waiting their turn to be hanged. Human rights organizations should investigate about the condition of those Afghan refugees in prisons and raise voice for their plight.