KABUL (Pajhwok): The ill-treatment and torture of Afghan refugees by Iranian police and people has come in for flake. Fearing persecution, no Afghan national in Iran could venture out of home.
Photos and videos circulating on social media show Iranian security officers subjecting Afghan refugees to harassment, mistreatment and torture.
Afghan refugees in Iran, unable to tolerate such mistreatment any longer, have urged a solution to their problems.
Qwais, an Afghan refugee in Iran, told Pajhwok Afghan News over the phone that their situation had worsened to an intolerable extent.
“The people and police of Iran, after the attack on clerics, have been chasing Afghans and subjecting them to harassment. This situation is worrisome,” he commented.
He said no Afghan was able to go out of home because of mistreatment chances. Even those with legal documents also face harassment.
Shakib, another refugee, also condemned the ill-treatment of Afghans in Iran. He asked the government of Iran not to harass Afghan refugees.
Ali, another Afghan who was recently deported from Turkey, told Pajhwok: “I was severely beaten by the Iranian forces four times on my way to Turkey.”
Violence, harassment and torture of Afghan refugees in Iran also upset the Kabul residents.
Fridoon, a resident of Kabul, claimed: “Iran has betrayed us by beating innocent Afghan children on its soil.”
He called on Afghans not to migrate to other countries and urged the government to provide jobs for the citizens so that they did not need to go abroad for work.
He stressed that the harassment and mistreatment of Afghan refugees must be stopped immediately.
Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said they had summoned an Iranian embassy diplomat to resolve the issue.
Faizanullah Naseri, a Foreign Ministry official, on Tuesday met officials at the Iranian embassy and shared their serious concerns on the situation of Afghan refugees in Iran.
He said both sides stressed the need to refrain action that would damage relations between the two countries.
Pajhwok contacted Iranian embassy officials in Kabul, but they did not immediately respond.
sa/mud
Views: 162