KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A former military pilot from Afghanistan has reportedly died by setting himself on fire in Iran after receiving a notice from Iranian authorities ordering him to leave the country.
Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of a political party in Afghanistan now living in exile, said in a social media post that the pilot, Mohammad Amir Tawasoli, took his own life in Mashhad, a city in northeastern Iran.
Mohaqiq did not provide further details about the victim or the incident. However, several social media users have written on their pages that Tawasoli was 40 years old and originally from Lal wa Sarjangal district in central Ghor province, Afghanistan.
In his statement, Mohaqiq urged Iranian authorities to treat Afghan refugees, especially former military personnel, government officials, and vulnerable groups, “with Islamic compassion and mercy” to prevent similar incidents.
Earlier, Mohaqiq led a delegation of exiled Afghan leaders to Iran to discuss the situation of Afghan refugees. After that visit, he said Iranian officials had pledged not to deport vulnerable individuals, including former security personnel.
Despite these assurances, Iran has continued deportation efforts. Authorities have recently issued exit cards to thousands of Afghan refugees, instructing them to leave within a set timeframe or face arrest, fines, and forced removal.
Following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled the country. Iran became a major destination for those seeking safety from persecution, repression, and economic hardship. Many of the refugees were former government employees or soldiers.
In recent months, Iran has intensified deportations of Afghan refugees, including those with residence permits or temporary protection cards. The International Organization for Migration says over 1.2 million Afghans have returned from Iran in 2024, with 67% classified as forced deportations.
Iranian authorities have announced plans to deport as many as two million Afghan refugees by the end of this year. Similar large-scale expulsions are also taking place in neighboring Pakistan.
