Continued Reactions to the Display of Afghan Migrants 'in a Cage'

Following the widespread backlash against the display of several Afghan citizens in a cage by the police in Shiraz, on Saturday, September 10, the police of Fars province denied the report, stating that those displayed were 'thieves and criminals.' According to Fars News Agency, Fariba Estouari, the social deputy of the police in Fars province, called the news circulating on social media about the display of foreign nationals in the province 'a lie' and claimed that the images published in the media 'do not pertain to this province.' On the other hand, Bahram Parsai, a representative from Shiraz in the parliament, also told ISNA that according to the explanations from the police, the images of those detained do not belong to foreign nationals, but rather these individuals were 'armed criminals and traffickers.' This statement comes despite one of the photos published in the media showing a sign reading 'arrest of foreign nationals' in an area enclosed by fencing resembling a cage. Nemat Ahmadi, a lawyer and university professor in Tehran, told Radio Farda that 'even assuming these individuals were not Afghan citizens, displaying them or allowing their photos to be published is not legal.' Regarding the reasons for such behavior by the police in Shiraz, Saeed Piyavandi, a sociologist and university professor in Paris, stated that 'the cultural vacuum regarding how to live with non-Iranian citizens has created grounds for xenophobia and such behavior.' Hafiz Ahmad Miakhil, a press advisor to the Afghan Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, condemned this act in an interview with Radio Farda, describing it as 'against human dignity.' On Tuesday, September 16, the police held an exhibition of 'discoveries from police stations in Shiraz over the past 48 hours,' showcasing some of the items seized by the police, including drugs, alcoholic beverages, and 'illegal' films. The images of Afghan citizens also relate to this exhibition; several 'Afghan citizens,' who were arrested for lacking residence permits in Iran, were displayed with their eyes covered by white cloth and surrounded by metal fencing. The 'display of Afghan citizens in confinement' led to many protest reactions from Iranian and Afghan users on social media.