Afghanistan Embassy in Tehran: Investigation into Shooting at Migrant Vehicle in Yazd Continues
The first secretary of the Afghan Embassy in Tehran says investigations into the shooting and burning of a vehicle carrying Afghan migrants and refugees in Yazd are ongoing, and Kabul has asked Iran’s Foreign Ministry to conduct “serious investigations” into the matter.
Fatema Talqani told Radio Free (Dari section of Radio Free Europe) that “efforts to identify the three refugees who were burned in the vehicle fire in Yazd city continue. The wounded from this incident are hospitalized and the migrants who survived are with the Iranian government.”
Ms. Talqani also confirmed images that were recently circulated on social networks and among citizens of her country, showing wounded individuals in handcuffs.
As reported by Radio Free, the images of handcuffed wounded persons on hospital beds sparked strong reactions.
The first secretary of the Afghan Embassy in Tehran says Abdulghafoor Liwal, her country’s ambassador, criticized the Iranian police for this action and demanded the handcuffs be removed from the wounded.
Mr. Liwal said this action is illegal and wrong.
On June 5 (Khordad 15), during shooting at a vehicle and its subsequent burning in Yazd, three Afghan citizens were killed and eight others were wounded.
Afghan officials and media outlets say shooting at the vehicle’s tire ultimately led to the fire and deaths of citizens.
Iranian authorities say police ordered the vehicle to stop and, after the driver’s non-compliance, officers targeted the vehicle’s tire, but the vehicle continued moving several kilometers while its wheel was on fire, eventually catching fire.
Afghanistan’s ambassador to Iran confirmed that the vehicle belonged to “human smugglers.”
Officials of Yazd Province have promised that those responsible for shooting at the vehicle will face legal prosecution.
This incident comes as the issue of treatment of Afghan migrants, job seekers, and refugees has received widespread coverage in recent weeks. On April 3, the publication of reports about mistreatment by Iranian border guards of a group of Afghan citizens “which led to the drowning of several of them” prompted reactions and coverage.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry announced that comprehensive investigations are being conducted regarding the drowning of job seekers at the border. While Tehran’s authorities said they would cooperate with these investigations, they denied the reports and even described them as “scenario-making.”
Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, recently expressed “regret over the heavy and undocumented media atmosphere created by some Afghan officials and media outlets” in a phone call with his Afghan counterpart.
On the other hand, the head of Afghanistan’s Human Rights Commission told Radio Free that “some religious leaders and government officials have maintained behind-the-scenes relations with Iran, which is why the Afghan government has been unable to demand rights for Afghans from Iranian authorities.”
Source: Radio Farda
