Border Commanders Deny Drowning Afghan Immigrants

Date: 27 May 2020 - 21:53

News ID: ۷۹۰۱۴

KABUL (Dispatches) -- An Iranian delegation visiting Kabul has held talks with senior Afghan officials on a recent incident at the common border that resulted in the deaths of Afghan migrants trying to cross into Iran illegally.
The Iranian delegation, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs Mohsen Baharvand, held a meeting with caretaker of the Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan Hanif Atmar, Fars news agency reported Wednesday.
The Iranian diplomat assured the Kabul government that Tehran is committed to working in cooperation with Afghans to bring all facts about the incident to light.
Baharvand "also emphasized that the tragic incident would by no means affect the close and brotherly ties between the two governments and nations,” the report said.
The official also held talks with Chairman of Afghanistan’s National Supreme Council of Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah who called for an investigation and honest handling of the case.
Some reports have claimed that about 50 Afghan migrants illegally crossing into Iran had been beaten by Iranian border guards and thrown into a border river.
Iran’s border police have said their guards have nothing to the incident, making it clear that it had taken place on the Afghan soil.
On Wednesday, Press TV cited Iran’s border guard commanders in Taibad dismissing "fake news” that Iranian soldiers had tortured and thrown Afghans into the Harirud River in western Herat province.
They said the river is far from the Iranian border guard posts and those who try to enter the country illegally, are always treated in a humane way under international human rights law.
"The Iranian commanders said their border guards had nothing to do with the drowning of Afghan nationals along the border. They also made it absolutely clear that there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that some Afghan nationals drowned here in recent days. They said videos shared on social media that show bodies on the river bank are not from this particular border,” Press TV reported.
The Iranian commanders also said no confrontation at all took place between their forces and Afghan nationals at the alleged site, dismissing all allegations of transferring the individuals to a camp or subjecting them to inhumane treatment as absolutely untrue.
Because of its long border with Afghanistan, Iran has to deal with problems such as smugglers, drug dealers and terrorists mixing with illegal migrants. The country spends billions of dollars on Afghan migrants every year in various sectors.