In a report released today, Amnesty International criticised Turkey and Iran’s treatment of Afghans fleeing their country, accusing the two countries of forcefully returning, killing, and arbitrarily detaining them.
According to the study, Iranian and Turkish security forces have regularly and illegally forced returned Afghans who attempted to cross their borders to safety, particularly by illegally firing at men, women, and children.
The inquiry was done in March of last year in Afghanistan, and it included 74 persons who claimed to have been forcefully repatriated, including 48 who reported being targeted by fire while attempting to reach the border with Iran or Turkey.
According to the NGO, Iranian soldiers illegally murdered and maimed dozens of people, mainly by firing at crowded automobiles.
According to Amnesty International researcher Marie Forestier, Turkish border guards unlawfully discharged live gunfire on Afghans.
Between April 2021 and January 2022, the group spoke with the family of six men and a 16-year-old child who were slain by Iranian security forces while attempting to cross the Afghan-Iranian border. The group documented 11 murders committed by Iranian security personnel.
According to Amnesty International, Iranian security personnel have shot persons who were scaling a border wall, crossing over a fence, or strolling or driving into Iranian territory.
According to the NGO, many of those who managed to cross the border between the two countries were subjected to torture and arbitrary incarceration in Turkey or Iran before being forced returned to Afghanistan.
Amnesty International has asked the Turkish and Iranian governments to immediately cease any unlawful deportations and returns, as well as to provide safe passage and access to asylum processes for Afghans seeking safety.
It also urged the international community to assist nations hosting Afghan refugees, notably Iran and Turkey.
According to Amnesty International, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have fled the country since the Taliban assumed power in August 2021.
According to Amnesty International, Iran murdered 11 Afghans who attempted to cross the border.
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