Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for a “thorough investigation” into “shocking” allegations that Iranian border guards beat and then forced a group of Afghan migrants into river, it has been reported.
Iranian border guards allegedly beat and forced into river more than 50 Afghan migrants after they illegally crossed the border last week.
Officials in Herat province said that five bodies were retrieved and 23 were missing.
Afghan foreign ministry has said that it is investigating the incident and on Monday it reported progress.
“The allegations are indeed shocking,” Patricia Gossman, an associate director for the Asia division at HRW, said as quoted by RFE/RL. “It really requires a very thorough investigation into what exactly happened.”
Gossman said that if proven, the actions of the Iranian border guards would amount to “a very serious human rights violation.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi said the “incident” took place on Afghan soil.
“Border guards of the Islamic Republic of Iran denied the occurrence of any events related to this on the soil of our country,” he said in a statement on May 3, adding that Tehran would launch an investigation into the incident.
“I haven’t heard of a case like this in recent memory, although we have previously documented abuses by Iranian border officials against Afghans for some time,” Gossman said, adding that there had been past incidents of Iranian border guards beating and firing on Afghan migrants.
Meanwhile, top US diplomat for South and Central Asia Alice Wells tweeted: “Iran’s cruel treatment and abuse of Afghan migrants alleged in these reports is horrifying. We support calls for a thorough investigation. Those found guilty of such abuse must be held accountable.”
US Embassy in Kabul tweeted: “We support the decision of the Afghan foreign ministry to launch an investigation and call on Iran to cooperate fully and hold the guilty accountable.”
