On October 23, 2024, the National Mobilization Front (NMF) of Afghanistan, a resistance group fighting the Taliban, expressed concern that, to fight Israel and American forces in the Middle East, Iran is recruiting former Afghan soldiers who fled to Iran fearing the Taliban.
In an English-language statement, NMF expressed alarm that the former Afghan soldiers who do not want to fight in Iran's wars are handed back to the Taliban, who imprison and torture them. "The National Mobilization Front of Afghanistan has obtained many documents that show that the Iranian government has forced hundreds of Afghan military forces residing in Iran to register in the war for the benefit of Iran against Israel," it stated.
Following are excerpts from the statement:
"The United Nations Should Save The Former Afghan Soldiers From The Clutches Of Iran As Soon As Possible
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has intensified the use of former Afghan soldiers and is sending them to the war in Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria in order to use these soldiers for their own benefit against the Israeli army and other involved countries. This action of the Islamic Republic of Iran is against all the policies and standards of international law and the right of asylum in the second country, far from the ethics of the neighborhood.
"Recently, the Islamic Republic of Iran, using social and political coercion of the former military refugees of Afghanistan – who have problems with the Taliban group due to political and intellectual differences and have taken refuge in Iran – first forces them to leave Iran or force them to participate in the Middle East... for the benefit of Iran against Israel and America forces.
"The Iranian government forcibly registers these soldiers in the Middle East resistance, and they are supposed to be sent to Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. In this case, they will not be expelled from Iran, and these soldiers will be getting salary for this duty too and this action of the government of Iran has violated all human rights; this is a crime that must be stopped.
A section of the Iranian government form for registering in the Lebanon War.
"The National Mobilization Front of Afghanistan has obtained many documents that show that the Iranian government has forced hundreds of Afghan military forces residing in Iran to register in the war for the benefit of Iran against Israel and United States of America army.
"According to a large number of Afghan ex-soldiers, they have told the National Mobilization Front of Afghanistan that they filled these forms under force and if they did not register, they would be arrested and handed back over to the Taliban group. Now after registering, these former soldiers are waiting to be sent to Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, where they will be sent in the next two weeks [the last weeks of October 2024 and after].
"The National Mobilization Front of Afghanistan requests the United Nations and other human rights organizations to force Iran to stop using former soldiers of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The UN should keep these soldiers in a special camp under UN supervision. The leadership of the National Mobilization Front of Afghanistan will be ready to cooperate with the United Nations and other benevolent countries."
Source: NMFront.com (Afghanistan), October 23, 2024. The original English of the statement has been lightly edited for clarity and standardization.
