Saturday, March 2, 2013
Kabul (BNA) On going execution of Afghans in Iran not only reduces the trust of Afghans to Islamic Republic of Iran but in long run effects badly relations between the two neighboring countries.
BNA commentator writes on that regard:
Afghans are following the news about the execution of their compatriots in Iran with great concern.
In a series of such brutal and inhumane executions, the bodied of five Takhar residents were transferred from Iran and buried in their birthplaces. They were too young and were accused of narcotic drugs smuggling.
The bodies of those youth handed over to their relatives in a despaired atmosphere while there are serious rumors that a huge number of Afghans are currently behind the bars of Iranian prisons, have been sentences to death and waiting for performing the verdicts already have been issued by so called Islamic courts of that country.
The Afghan people respecting the laws of Islamic Republic of Iran, cordially wished the people of this fraternal country to live in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility and always persistently demanded Afghanistan and Iran as two countries with joint culture, history and language with mutual understanding attempt for better cooperation and settling the relevant problems and to live in peace and stability. The Afghans strongly believe the criminal and who commit offences should be punished according to the law without and discriminations. The Afghan refugees who live in Iran due to more than 3 decades of unrests in their homeland are not exceptional before the law and they should be punished if they violate the law. The Afghans while insist on legally persecution of
Offenders and accused people in their own and other countries, made it clear that the Afghans who have been accused of committing a fault should be tried openly and justly by a court. Unfortunately this internationally accepted norms, has not been observed against depressed Afghans. The trial of accused Afghans in Iran has not been carried out according international and Iran’s judicial criteria. Afghan prisoners in Iran have no access to the lawyer and other legal facilities. The verdicts against Afghan prisoners have been issued mostly in private, in absence of media, the families of suspects, Afghan political missions in Iran and lawyers.
Afghanistan as a neighboring country of Iran and a UN member has the right to know about the cased of its nationals sentenced to prison in Iran or other countries and follow the process of their trial and to defend their rights.
With great regret, the Afghan missions in Iran have not been informed about the charges, Afghans are accused. In the meantime, Iran continues executing Afghans, while there is a document on exchanging prisoners between the two countries. In addition, our Iranian friends have committed to reduce death penalty to life sentence regarding to the Afghans. They should meet their commitment. On the other hand Afghanistan has explicit and serious laws regarding to drug trafficking, if the Iranian side expatriates the Afghans suspect to drug trafficking to Afghanistan, certainly they would be tried and punished according to those laws.
While the Afghan people follow the Afghans executions in Iran with great concern, are hopeful the diplomatic efforts of Afghanistan affect positively in ending the crisis which will have serious consequences on relations between the two neighboring and friendly countries.
Recently the council of ministers of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan discussed the issue of executions of Afghans in Iran and assigned the ministry of foreign affairs and national security directorates contacting the Iranian side assess the problem. In the meantime, the ministry of foreign affairs tries to hire lawyers to defend the rights of Afghan prisoners in Iran. We hope the efforts proved to be successful and the problem be settled via negation between the two Islamic countries in order the trust between the people of the countries with long common cultural and historic ties further strengthened.
Written By: Khalil Minawi BNA Director
