HRW seeks probe into drowning of Afghan migrants

KABUL (Pajhwok): A global rights group has sought a "thorough investigation" into allegations that Iranian border guards forced a group of Afghan migrants into a river near the border between the neighbours.

Late on Saturday, Kabul said it was looking into allegations that dozens of Afghan migrants trying to sneak into Iran for work were thrown into Harirud River by Iranian border guards.

Some 25 men drowned or have been missing in the wake of torture at the hands of the Iranian border police, according to several media outlets, which also carried footage of the migrants. .

RFE/RL quoted Patricia Gossman, an associate director for the Asia division at Human Rights Watch (HRW), as saying: "The allegations are indeed shocking. It really requires a very thorough investigation into what exactly happened."

If substantiated, the actions of the Iranian border guards would amount to "a very serious human rights violation," Gossman remarked about last week’s incident.

Abdul Ghani Noori, administrative chief for Herat’s Gulran district, where the incident took place, accused Iranian security forces of throwing the Afghan migrants into the river.

Gossman said: "I haven't heard of a case like this in recent memory, although we have previously documented abuses by Iranian border officials against Afghans …"

PAN Monitor/mud