Afghanistan's ex-attorney general condemns Iran for migrant killings

Afghanistan's former attorney general has condemned the killing of Afghan migrants by Iranian border guards as a deliberate "crime against humanity" following reports of dozens being shot while attempting to enter Iran.

“These refugees, in search of safety and refuge from life-threatening dangers, braved perilous seas, mountains and deserts,” Mohammad Farid Hamidi said in a post on X.

Rights group Haalvsh reported an incident on Sunday near the border with Pakistan in which Afghan migrants attempting to enter Iran were fired upon by border forces.

Baluch Campaign, another rights group, reported that migrants encountered a land mine while traversing the area.

On Thursday, the UN mission in Afghanistan urged a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the reported incident, emphasizing that the rights of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers are safeguarded under international law.

Official accounts regarding those involved remain unavailable, though Iranian authorities have denied the reports.

Iran's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, addressed the issue on Wednesday via a post on X, saying: "Following comprehensive inquiries through reliable sources, it has been confirmed that the allegations surrounding the deaths of dozens of illegal immigrants at the Saravan border are baseless."

Hamidi went on to criticize Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, asserting that the group is both incapable and unwilling to safeguard the rights of Afghan citizens abroad.

"The irresponsible and illegitimate rulers in Afghanistan have disgraced the country and its citizens at the international level and abroad," he fulminated.

"They neither have the ability nor the capacity to defend the rights of Afghan citizens outside the country, nor do they feel any responsibility in this regard."

Meanwhile, Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced that a high-ranking delegation has been dispatched to investigate the reported incident.

The delegation comprises the deputy interior minister for security, along with representatives from various ministries, including defense and the General Intelligence Directorate.

The reports come as Iran's Parliament is introducing a plan to reduce the foreign national population by 10 percent annually, including Afghan migrants, now believed to number around 10 million.

If enacted, the law would also require authorities to limit foreign nationals and their families to no more than three percent of the population in any city, village, or province within three months of enforcement. To support this initiative, border closures are being implemented and monitored using artificial intelligence.

Iran has also intensified its deportation efforts with plans to expel at least two million undocumented migrants by March 2025, according to Ahmad Reza Radan, commander of the country’s law enforcement forces.