Afghan Embassy in Tehran: Investigation into shooting at migrants' vehicle in Yazd continues
The first secretary of the Afghan embassy in Tehran says that investigations into the fire that broke out in a vehicle carrying Afghan refugees and asylum seekers in Yazd are ongoing, and Kabul has asked the Iranian Foreign Ministry to conduct a "serious investigation" into the matter.
Fatemeh Taleghani told Radio Azadi (Radio Free Europe's Dari service) that "efforts are continuing to identify the three refugees who were burned to death in a car fire in the city of Yazd. The injured in the incident are hospitalized, and the migrants who survived are with the Iranian government."
Ms. Taleghani also confirmed the images that have recently been circulating on social media and among citizens of her country, showing the wounded in handcuffs.
As reported by Radio Azadi, images of the wounded in handcuffs on hospital beds have sparked strong reactions.
The first secretary of the Afghan embassy in Tehran says that his country's ambassador, Abdul Ghafoor Liwal, criticized the Iranian police's actions and demanded that the handcuffs of the injured be removed.
Mr. Liwal said this is illegal and wrong.
On June 5, three Afghan citizens were killed and eight others were injured when a car was shot at and then set on fire in Yazd.
Afghan officials and media say that shooting at a car tire ultimately led to a fire and the deaths of civilians.
Iranian officials say that the police ordered the car to stop and after the driver failed to pay attention, the officers targeted the car's tires, but the car continued to drive for several kilometers with the tire on fire and eventually caught fire.
The Afghan ambassador to Iran confirmed that the car belonged to "human traffickers."
Yazd provincial authorities have promised that those responsible for shooting at the car will be prosecuted.
This incident comes as the issue of encounters with Afghan migrants, job seekers, and asylum seekers has received widespread coverage in recent weeks. On May 4, the publication of reports about Iranian border guards mistreating a group of Afghan citizens, "leading to the drowning of several of them," sparked reactions and reflections.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry has announced that a comprehensive investigation will be conducted into the drowning of job seekers at the border. Although Tehran officials had said they would cooperate with the investigation, they have denied the reports and even described them as "scenario-building."
Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, recently expressed regret in a phone call with his Afghan counterpart over the "heavy and undocumented news environment created by some Afghan officials and media."
On the other hand, the head of the Afghan Human Rights Organization told Radio Azadi, "Some religious leaders and government officials have maintained behind-the-scenes relations with Iran, and the result is that the Afghan government has not been able to demand the rights of Afghans from Iranian officials."
Source: Radio Farda
