KABUL, Afghanistan — Mehdi Mousavi, a teenager whose name has become synonymous with the mistreatment of Afghan migrants by Iranian police, is now bedridden, suffering from both displacement and illness. His mother is worried, and his brother is deeply distressed about his condition.
The Iranian police’s treatment of this Afghan migrant teenager has sparked a wave of reactions.
Mehdi Mousavi, 16, who has hearing and speech impairments, is now in a poor mental state, according to his family. Images circulating on social media show an Iranian police officer kneeling on Mehdi’s neck during an attempted arrest, while his mother’s efforts to intervene were futile.
Sources say the incident occurred in the outskirts of Tehran when police attempted to detain Mehdi. Despite having a census registration document, Mehdi did not hear the police orders due to his hearing impairment.
Independent sources provided Amu with recent images of Mehdi showing signs of physical abuse.
The Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told Amu that they have asked Iran to stop mistreating Afghan migrants. “We are closely monitoring the situation of migrants in Iran and are in contact with the Iranian government through our channels. We demand an immediate end to the mistreatment of migrants, and we urge the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure the proper treatment of Afghan migrants based on established principles,” Mujahid said.
A social media campaign, “Get Your Knee Off My Neck,” has emerged in response to the incident. Some users have likened it to the killing of George Floyd, an African American man who was suffocated by a police officer in the United States in 2020, an event that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei condemned as a reflection of the U.S. government’s oppressive nature. However, Khamenei has remained silent on this similar incident in Iran.
Political figures have also reacted to the plight of Afghan migrants in Iran, including former Afghan Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar and Atta Mohammad Noor, leader of the Noor faction of the Jamiat-e-Islami party.
Hanif Atmar, on X, stated, “We expect the new government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to investigate this situation, take appropriate measures to protect migrants, and hold those responsible for these abuses accountable.”
Atta Mohammad Noor added, “The distressing reports of mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Iran, particularly the video showing a teenager being choked under the knees of Iranian men, are shocking and disturbing. Such actions violate the spirit of neighborly relations and the provisions of the 1951 Convention on Refugee Rights.”
Former Afghan parliament member Fawzia Koofi also expressed her outrage on X, criticizing Afghan political leaders for their silence and lack of action in response to the abuse of Afghan migrants.
On Thursday, several Afghan citizens protested outside the Iranian embassy in Berlin, Germany, in response to the incident. Some critics have also condemned Iran’s policies toward Afghanistan.
Aziz Gul Afghanbeig, a student, said, “The fascist and clerical regime of Iran does not want Afghan migrants in its country and has no legal framework to protect them. Iran has long supported the Taliban and has had a direct hand in the suffering and displacement of the Afghan people.”
Despite these growing concerns, Tehran has yet to issue an official statement on the matter. In recent weeks, there has been increasing alarm about the treatment of Afghan migrants in Iran. The Iranian Human Rights Organization reported earlier this year that Iran executed 20 Afghan migrants in the first seven months of 2023.
