-
Protests outside Iranian Embassy in Afghanistan over video footage of refugees beaten and abused in Iran
-
More than 200 demonstrators gathered at a square in central Kabul, carrying posters reading “Iran should stop its cruelties” and “We want justice.”
The Arab News reported that angry Afghans protested outside the Iranian Embassy in Kabul on Tuesday (Apr 12) after video footage emerged showing Afghan refugees in Iran being beaten and abused.
More than 200 demonstrators gathered at a square in central Kabul, carrying posters reading “Iran should stop its cruelties” and “We want justice.”
Public demonstrations are banned by the Taliban, but they allowed the protest to proceed with armed guards watching. “The Iranian security forces and even common people there have been treating us badly,” said one protester, Manzoor Ahmad Farooqi, who had just returned from Iran. “When their police see us they pin us to the ground and beat us.”
Its foreign ministry said, Tehran closed its Afghan missions until further notice “in order to obtain necessary assurances guaranteeing total security."
Iran has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades, but fresh waves have flooded the country since the Taliban returned to power in August, testing the patience of authorities and ordinary people.
UK will welcome 20,000 Afghan refugees following Taliban takeover
Tuesday’s protest came after videos circulated at the weekend apparently showing Iranian border guards and civilians beating Afghans, although it was unclear when and where the images were filmed. Iranian officials dismissed the videos as “baseless and invalid.”
Protests first erupted Monday in Herat, the western city that is a launchpad for Afghans who want to cross to Iran.
Protesters set fire to an Iranian flag outside Tehran’s consulate in the city, and smashed CCTV cameras.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Afghanistan’s charge d’affaires in Tehran “to vigorously protest against the attacks on the Iranian Embassy in Kabul and the consulate general in Herat.”
After logistics .. The UAE continues relief efforts and receives a new group of Afghan refugees
Iran has long had testy relations with the Taliban, who raided Tehran’s consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif in 1998 and murdered 10 diplomats and a journalist.
Source: arabnews
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
NATO Secretary-General Ex...
- November 7, 2024
Amid growing anxiety among several European countries participating in NATO over Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated he looks forward to sitting down with Trump.
Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.
Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.
On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.
It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.
Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.
Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!