Iran and Turkey criticized for taking in Afghan refugees
The NGO Amnesty highlights the mistreatment of Afghan refugees by the Iranian and Turkish authorities.
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have fled the country since the Taliban took power in August 2021, Amnesty said. (illustrative image)
AFP
Forced returns, illegal shootings, arbitrary detentions: Amnesty International denounces the attitude of Turkey and Iran vis-à-vis Afghans seeking to flee their country, in a report published on Wednesday.
“Iranian and Turkish security forces have on numerous occasions illegally forcibly returned Afghans attempting to cross the borders of these countries to safety, including by unlawfully opening fire on men, women and children”, according to this report.
“Real ammunition”
The survey was carried out in March in Afghanistan with 74 people testifying to having been forcibly returned, including 48 claiming to have been the target of fire while trying to cross the borders with Iran or Turkey.
According to the NGO, Iranian forces “illegally killed and injured dozens” of people, including by opening fire on overloaded cars. “Turkish border guards also illegally used live ammunition,” according to Amnesty researcher Marie Forestier, quoted in the report.
The organization met the relatives of six men and a 16-year-old boy killed by Iranian security forces as they tried to cross the Iranian border, between April 2021 and January 2022. In all, the organization has recorded 11 homicides attributed to Iranian security forces.
Tortures
According to Amnesty International, the latter fired on people who were climbing the border walls, slipping under fences or walking or driving away from the border towards Iranian territory. Many of those who managed to cross the border with the two countries suffered torture and arbitrary detention in Turkey or Iran, before being forcibly returned to Afghanistan, according to the NGO.
“We call on the Turkish and Iranian authorities to immediately end all illegal deportations and returns, and to guarantee safe passage and access to asylum procedures” for Afghans seeking protection, urges Amnesty.
The NGO also calls on the international community to financially support countries hosting Afghan refugees, including Iran and Turkey. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have fled the country since the Taliban took power in August 2021, Amnesty said.
AFP
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