13 corpses of Afghans arrive in Herat from Iran

HERAT CITY (PAN): Placed in coffins, 13 dead bodies of Afghan citizens executed in Iran were on Wednesday handed over to their families in western Herat province, family members and officials said.

Nearly 100 people rushed to the civil hospital in Herat City to identify their relatives after the bodies arrived from Iran.

Mir Khan, who’s brother was among the dead, said the 13 Afghans had gone to Iran six months ago in search of work, but they were arrested and later executed by Iranian guards and had been buried immediately 25 kilometers away from the Islam Qala port inside Iran.

He said families were able to be delivered their executed relatives after immense efforts that lasted six months, thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that paved the ground for the identification of corpses and digging the dead out of graves in Iran. He said Iranian authorities had earlier released four dead bodies of Afghans a week back and another nine bodies were brought on Wednesday.

Habibullah, who’s son Hafizullah was among the deceased, called Iran’s government as ruthless and cruel. He refused to bury his son until the killers were brought to the international court of justice. He vowed to approach the UN and human rights groups against the massacre.

A doctor on duty at the Herat civil hospital, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had been delivered nine bodies. He said doctors had launched a postmortem examination to determine the causes of their deaths.

Calls seeking comments from officials at the Iranian consulate went unanswered.

In February, nearly 600 people protested in front of the Iranian consulate against the execution of the 13 Afghans.

The angry protesters shouted against Iran and also blamed the Afghan government for being reckless towards the execution of Afghan citizens and refugees based in Iran.

The Wolesi Jirga has condemned hanging of Afghan nationals in Iranian prisons as immoral and against good neighbourly relations.

It is reported that 1,200 of the 5,800 Afghans in Iranian prisons had been handed down death sentences by Iranian courts. Relatives of those executed say they paid millions of Iranian Tomans in return for releasing them the dead bodies.

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