Executions of Afghans in Iran and the passive position of Afghan government

Execution of Afghans in Iran continues since several years and increased in recent years. Recently, few days back some Afghan national has been executed in Esfahan province of Iran.

As usual, the Afghan government expressed its position over the subject and repeated their requests to the Iranian government; but the question is, why the Iranian government continues the executions of Afghans in spite of the reactions and demands of the Afghan government, what objectives might be in behind of the scene? This weekly analysis shed light on this issue.

The Afghans life conditions in Iran and the executions:

Afghan refugees are coping with variety of problems- often in grim conditions in Iran, but the painful thing is the widespread executions of Afghans against all international rules and regulations and even in some cases their bodies have not been handed over to their families.

Two years ago, Iranian government hanged 13 Afghan individuals, but their bodies did not handed over to their families, which caused the anger of Afghans and they protested against Iran’s consulate office in Herat province. 

Few moths after that incident, around 80 more Afghan individuals executed and around 10 of them had handed over to their families and the remaining were buried in Iran.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned the executions, describing the number of those allegedly killed as “truly disturbing”.

However the exact number of the Afghan prisoners and those who are on death row is not clear, but according to the media reports around 5000 individuals are on death row.

However in some cases the bodies of the hanged Afghan individuals handed over to their families but there is any proof or clear judicial process and any information about their offence.

The reasons behind the executions:

The Iranian judicial system is cruel not only for Afghans but the same for Iranians and raised world’s concerns time to time.

Most of the executions are claimed to be for the drug related offences, but its state and quality shows that there are more goals being pursued behind the executions.

Iran used these mass executions as a tool of pressure on Afghan government, whenever they keep Afghan government under pressure they deport the Afghan refugees in freezing winter or attacking the Afghan border police or executing large numbers of Afghans.

One of the most important issues is the drugs, which is mostly raised by Russia and Iran and called it as result of American presence in the region; even the Russian and NATO troops had a joint operation together which caused a serious reaction of Afghan government.

It seems that while the foreign troops are leaving Afghanistan and the issues like the dams of Kamal Khan or Salma, and want to deliver a message to the Afghan government. Besides the peace process and the withdrawal of foreign troops give the incentive of playing role, which they want to fulfill by their destructive measures.

At all, the execution of citizens of a country against all the international regulations shows that Iran want to impose their demands through a violent and cruel way and means.

The passive position of Afghan government:

Whenever the Afghans have been executed in Iran, the MoFA expressed their position, but never did make a step towards stopping this violation.

The position of the Afghan government against Iran is too soft, and usually gave them privileges and never showed their serious position for preventing such a violation against its citizens. Last year when Iran was executing Afghan nationals a road in Balkh province has been named for Iranians.

Each time when Afghans are being executed in Iran, even the ambassador in Kabul is not asked for giving information to the Afghan government on this regard.

All the executions took place without informing the Afghan diplomatic agencies in Iran, while the Afghan government repeatedly asked Iranian authorities to let Afghan nationals and prisoners to have access to consulate services, and must not execute Afghan prisoners without informing Afghan government.

Having access to a standard judicial system and informing Afghan authorities from the trials is part of consulate services, but Afghan prisoners in Iran have not such a right.

This time as well, the foreign ministry of Afghanistan MoFA, asked Iran to change the execution of Afghan national to life prison, and inform Afghan government before the executions.

Last year an Afghan authority travel to Iran to negotiate mutual cooperation between two countries and changed the execution penalty to life prison for 50 Afghans in an agreement over exchange of prisoners.

The execution of Afghans raising several times in the year, and the Afghan government, Parliament and civil society reacting to it, but Afghan government did not achieve a comprehensive understanding with Iranian regime.  The weakness of Afghan government in defending their rights has been caused that now the demands of Afghan government from Iran is a common issue, and are not seriously considering.

Iran has never respect the mutual understandings and demands of Afghan government, and pursued their goals from any possible way; but the Afghan government even could not have access to the exact number of its national being executed in Iran or not able to receive the bodies of executed Afghan nationals from Iranian government.

Afghan government would at least raise this issue internationally. On the other hand, Iran has deep and secret activities in Afghanistan, the Afghan government must prohibit the Iranian organizations working in Afghanistan and even there are allegations on them for intelligence related activities.