Key facts
- A dozen young Afghan migrants allege they were beaten by Turkish border guards.
- The migrants claim they were stripped and forced into sub-zero temperatures near the Iranian border.
- Survivors reported severe frostbite, leading to amputations of hands and legs.
- The group claims at least 20 migrants died from hypothermia.
- Turkish authorities deny the allegations and state their border forces adhere to national and international laws.
A group of approximately 50 undocumented Afghan migrants, including minors, allege they were subjected to severe violence and mistreatment by Turkish border guards in mid-January. The migrants, who were attempting to reach Europe, claim they were arrested in Van, Turkey, held in harsh conditions, and then beaten with iron rods before being stripped of their clothes and forced towards the Iranian border. Temperatures in the region were reported to be as low as -15C.
Survivors told the BBC that at least 20 people in their group died from hypothermia, and most of the remaining migrants suffered severe frostbite, leading to the amputation of hands and legs for many, including 21-year-old Shahsawar, who lost both his hands and legs. Migrants reported being forced to carry wood and clear snow, and being given only water and dry bread once a day.
Activists familiar with the region have reported similar incidents of push-backs and mistreatment of migrants along the Iran-Turkey border. The Turkish foreign ministry, however, stated that border forces adhere to national and international laws and provide necessary assistance to detained migrants, calling the allegations unfounded and unfair to Turkey's efforts in combating irregular migration.
The Afghan embassy in Tehran and the Red Crescent Society were involved in transferring the affected migrants to Afghanistan for medical treatment, where the severity of their frostbite necessitated amputations.