US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday he was appalled to see reports last week of Iranian border guards abused, tortured and drowned Afghan migrants.
“We are not the only nation whose citizens are subject to the Iranian regime’s brutality,” Pompeo said at a press conference.
“I was appalled to see reports last week of Iranian guards on the border of Afghanistan’s Herat province abused, tortured, drowned Afghan migrants who dared to cross the border simply in search of food and work.”
“We encourage the Afghan authorities to undertake a full investigation and to seek to hold those perpetrators accountable,” he added.
About 60 Afghans trying to enter Iran from Herat province were beaten and pushed into the Harirud river allegedly by Iranian border guards.
Around a dozen dead bodies were retrieved while around 20 others went missing. Some were rescued alive.
Iran’s foreign ministry has denied its border guards were involved in the incident, but has agreed to carry out a joint investigation with Afghan authorities.
