Published 16:14 IST, June 6th 2020
Afghans denounce Iranian police as refugees' death in car blaze triggers anger
Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry said that three people lost their lives, four suffered injuries and a number of Afghans disappeared after their vehicle was shot.
Advertisement
Afghanistan denounced Iranian police after a disturbing video of a car carrying Aghan refugees set ablaze went viral, triggering fresh anger after earlier reports of the drowning of migrants by Iranian border guards. Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement on June 6 that it has closely monitored, investigated and evaluated the incident.
Citing initial reports, the ministry said that three people died, four suffered injuries and a number of Afghan citizens disappeared after their vehicle was shot by Iranian police. In the video footage shared on social media, a boy was seen begging for water while escaping from the blazing car with burns on parts of his body.
The ministry has confirmed the veracity of the video footage saying Afghans in Iran are trying to identify the victims. Quoting a Yazd province official, it said that the vehicle caught fire due to high speed and severe collision after the car was shot. Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Iran will be visiting Yazd to meet the victims of the accident and discuss the details of the bodies. The envoy will also seek the reason behind the firing on the vehicle carrying Afghan nationals.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will take the necessary decisions regarding the results of this research and evaluation of the next steps and measures with Iran,” the ministry added.
'Human lives matter'
The video was widely circulated on social media and human rights activists demanded accountability for the horrific incident. Shaharzad Akbar, the chairperson of Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission, said that the incident should be investigated and perpetrators should be held accountable. Akbar also demanded that the result of the joint investigation into the drowning of Afghans should be made public.
The results of joint Afg-Iran investigation on drowning of Afgs needs to be made public. The incident in Yazd, Iran that led to burning of passengers in a car needs to be investigated. Perpetuators need to be held accountable. Human lives matter. Reufgee rights are human rights.
— Shaharzad Akbar (@ShaharzadAkbar) June 6, 2020
(Image: AP)
16:14 IST, June 6th 2020