NOURNEWS- About three weeks ago, some Afghan media outlets reported that "Iranian border guards first beat about 50 Afghans as they crossed the border and then threw them into the Harirod River, some of which drowned." "And some have been rescued."
Following the news, Afghan government officials called on the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to follow up on the matter, and appointed Mohammad Hanif Atmar, the head of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to investigate the incident. Following the reaction of the Government of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Border Guard of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in a separate statements, while offering condolences to the people and government of Afghanistan, rejected any conflict with these immigrants and with clear documents, They declared across the border and on Afghan soil.
In this regard, and especially given the stance taken by the Afghan government, which has disturbed the diplomatic atmosphere between the two neighboring countries the influence of opportunistic elements and divisive media, there are important points that need to be addressed.
First of all, Iran has about 160 km of common river border (Harirod) with Afghanistan, which both countries have equal responsibility to maintain, so any border incident should be considered by assessing the role and duties of both countries.
Accordingly, the Afghan border guards are responsible for the illegal crossing of the Afghan border, for which they must be held accountable. So far, none of the media outlets that have specifically covered the incident have made the slightest hint of the Afghan border guards' failure to carry out their duties.
In the past three years, Afghan border forces have evacuated at least 54 border crossings (many of which have been built by the Iranian government in recent years), which have unfortunately led to the deployment of terrorist groups and smugglers in the area. Despite official and repeated protests by the Iranian government against the conditions on the common border, the Afghan government has not taken any effective action.
Secondly, the Islamic Republic of Iran is obliged by law to return illegal immigrants to their country, and in this regard, not only has no action been taken against current laws, but Iran has also waived its legal right to arrest and punish these individuals.
On the other hand, the depth and speed of the water in the Harirod River has increased due to the increase in rainfall and the opening of the Selma Dam by Afghanistan, making it difficult and dangerous to cross the river. Accordingly, the risk of unsafe crossing the river is borne by those who have taken this action. On the other hand; Due to the outbreak of corona virus in Afghanistan and the free treatment of this disease for Afghan citizens in Iran and despite the intensification of border controls, the illegal movement of Afghan citizens in the east of the country has increased and made the need for further border control inevitable.
In this context, as stated in the NAJA report, these individuals are declared without any conflict, beatings or shootings, and their entry into Iranian territory is illegal due to the lack of formalities, and therefore they must return to their home country.
Third, given the lack of any indications that the drowning of Afghan nationals in the border region is imminent, Iranian officials immediately after the media coverage of the alleged incident, in a formal note to the Afghan government, proposed the formation of a joint commission to examined the dimensions of the incident, which unfortunately met with a cold and irresponsible reaction from the Afghan side.
This makes clear at least two issues: first, if Iran was not sure of its failure, it would never have made such an offer, and second, if the failure of Iranian forces to prove it to the Afghan government, there was no reason for their late response to the official offer. .
Therefore, according to what has been said and the readiness of the Iranian border guards to jointly review the documents and documents claimed by the Afghan side, the continuation of space construction along with procrastination in response to the explicit proposal of the Islamic Republic of Iran to form a joint committee has no justification. Resolving the issue does not help to create misunderstandings in the warm and friendly relations between the two countries.
Fourth, the recent atmosphere created by the Afghan government has not been attempted to extinguish, while the Islamic Republic of Iran has officially announced that all migrants (including Afghan migrants) will be affected by the outbreak of the disease in difficult conditions. (They live in Iran, like Iranian citizens, are treated for free.
Of course, it is clear to the Afghan government and people that the Islamic Republic of Iran's special attention to Afghan refugees is unparalleled in the world, and that they enjoy all the facilities within the country, like a citizen. The Supreme Leader of the Revolution's order for the free education of the children of Afghan refugees, many of whom even have an illegal presence in our country, is just one example of this claim.
Turning a blind eye to Iran's humanitarian treatment of immigrants, especially Afghans with significant populations inside Iran, is not only bizarre, it is inconsistent with good neighborliness and good relations between the two countries, but it is in the interest of those who have no interest. They do not care about the people of Iran and Afghanistan, and they seek their own interests in creating differences between the two countries.
Undoubtedly, the settlement of the claim that a group of Afghan citizens drowned in the border river with Iran will be possible only with the continuation of goodwill and assistance in examining the expertise of the issue by the Joint Fact-Finding Committee. Allowing the continuation of media spaces by biased elements will not only not help to uncover the truth, but will also complicate the issue and its non-constructive impact on the warm and friendly relations between the two nations.
NOURNEWS
NOURNEWS