TEHRAN — A coalition of Afghan civil society activists and journalists residing in Iran, identifying as members of the “Organization for the Support of Civil Society and Journalists,” has voiced frustration over what it describes as the international community’s disregard for the plight of Afghan refugees in Iran.
In a recent consultative meeting, members of the group said they have endured “countless hardships” over the past three years in Iran, with little acknowledgment or assistance from international organizations.
“Women make up half of society’s body,” the organization said in a statement, “yet international institutions have largely forgotten them.”
Omid Pouya, a journalist and human rights activist, expressed disillusionment over multiple attempts to seek support from the United Nations offices in Iran. “We have approached U.N. offices here repeatedly, hoping they would hear our exhausted, despairing voices,” he said. “Not only have U.N. officials and other international agencies ignored our dire circumstances, but they have abandoned us entirely. A double standard toward Afghan refugees prevails within these organizations.”
The group has appealed to the global community not to overlook Afghan journalists and civil society members living in exile, who, it noted, remain vulnerable in Iran. Many of these Afghan professionals, including journalists, civil rights activists, and academics, fled Afghanistan after the Taliban regained power, seeking refuge in Iran, Pakistan, and other countries. Yet their asylum cases have stalled, leaving them in precarious limbo.
The organization is urging the international community to address the immigration cases of these exiled Afghans, who, it emphasized, face significant safety risks in Iran.
