The Iranian government has executed at least 13 Afghan citizens, including a woman, over the past month, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.
The group reported that the executions were carried out on various charges, including murder, rape, and drug-related offenses.
These executions come amid increasing complaints from Afghan migrants in Iran about harsh treatment by the country’s authorities. Some migrants have reported facing beatings, arrests, and imprisonment in recent weeks.
Qadriya, a women’s rights activist who fled Afghanistan for Iran to escape possible imprisonment by the Taliban, described the increasingly hostile environment faced by Afghan refugees. “They are imposing restrictions on migrants, and when I go outside, I hear insults and harsh words,” she said. “We are truly experiencing a bad and difficult situation in Iran.”
An Iranian human rights watchdog has previously noted a rise in executions of Afghan nationals following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. Afghan refugee advocate Mohammad Khan Talebi has called for greater international oversight, urging that execution sentences be commuted to life imprisonment, and for legal representation to ensure due process is followed.
Amid growing concerns, Afghan migrants have appealed to human rights organizations for immediate action. “The harsh treatment of Afghan migrants by Iranian police has increased unprecedentedly, particularly through forced deportations and severe restrictions,” said Enayatullah Alkozai, an Afghan migrant living in Iran.
The Taliban have yet to comment on the detentions and executions of Afghan nationals in Iran. According to Iranian judicial figures, Afghan nationals make up 95% of the foreign prisoners in Iran.
