RASC News Agency: Afghanistan’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva has urged an immediate and thorough investigation into the recent deaths of Afghanistani migrants at the Iranian border. During his address on Wednesday, at the 75th session of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Executive Committee, Nasir Ahmad Andesha, Afghanistan’s envoy to the UN in Geneva, stressed the need for a “swift and serious” inquiry into the incident involving Afghanistani migrants at the border with Iran.
Andesha said, “We have received deeply troubling reports of the shooting of more than 200 Afghanistani nationals at the borders of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. This tragic event requires urgent investigation, and if confirmed, it could rank among the most severe border incidents in recent times, calling for comprehensive investigations and accountability.” He underscored the dire situation facing Afghanistani migrants, who are caught between the oppressive Taliban regime, which continues to suppress their rights and freedoms, and the rising tide of xenophobia and inhumane treatment in host countries. Andesha pointed out that anti-migrant sentiment is worryingly on the rise in these regions.
Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Andesha noted that approximately 8 million Afghanistani citizens roughly a quarter of the population have fled to neighboring countries. He emphasized that this figure even surpasses the mass migration witnessed during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Following reports of the tragic border incident, the Taliban announced that a special committee, appointed by their prime minister, had been established to investigate the deaths.
Hamidullah Fetrat, the Taliban’s Deputy Spokesperson, confirmed that this committee comprises senior officials from the Ministries of Defense, Interior, and the General Directorate of Intelligence under Taliban administration. Earlier, the “Halvash Organization”, citing survivors of the incident, reported that dozens of Afghanistani migrants had been killed. However, the precise number of casualties remains unclear.
This incident has sparked widespread reactions both domestically and internationally. Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s Ambassador and Special Envoy for Afghanistani Affairs, has denied the reports of mass killings, dismissing them as media fabrications designed to sow discord. He asserted that these reports were part of a broader media campaign aimed at creating division between Iran and Afghanistan.
