Silence and inaction of the government about lives of thousands of Afghans on death row in Iran is utter disregard to the miseries of Afghan refugees abroad. Recently despite heavy media criticism, the government has not taken the issue seriously with Iranian officials.

Executions continue, and according to a group of lawmakers from both houses of the parliament who visited Iran recently, there are about 2000 Afghans in custody in Iranian jails waiting for capital punishment. Despite the fact that under a cooperation agreement, Tehran is bound to inform the government of Afghanistan about arrested Afghans and their crimes, the government does not know about exact number of those waiting to be executed. The criminal silence is beyond understanding.

Afghans are not given rights to challenge the allegations against them in court. Those executed were not provided with lawyers.

Afghans are living in worst conditions in the Iranian detention centers and jails. There are about 5000 Afghans in prisons. Dozens have been sentenced to death for the past three years. Nobody hear anything about their prosecution process. They are not allowed to have access to their family members in Afghanistan to get help with a lawyer. Their rights under detention are totally denied.  

There is a prisoner exchange agreement between Afghanistan and Iran, but Tehran has never let it be acted upon. The government should take up this issue on high levels and pressurize Iranian officials to send those imprisoned Afghans back to Afghanistan. Or the government should provide legal assistance to defend them in Iranian courts.

Death of ordinary laborers by Iranian border security guards comes to media attention once in a while. There have been several incidents when those who attempt to cross the border illegally for work are fired upon by security forces and killed.

What is more outrageous to Afghans is the silence and inaction of the government in Kabul. Nothing more could be expected from a government that received bags of cash from Tehran with proud confirmation in public. The issue is beyond capacity of our rulers.

We strongly demand the international community and the United Nations to take notice of the situation of Afghans in Iran, particularly those thousands prisoners who are waiting their turn to be hanged. Human rights organizations should investigate about the condition of those Afghan refugees in prisons and raise voice for their plight.