Iranian police have arrested a man accused of the brutal murder of an 18-year-old Afghan worker, whose body was discovered buried in a garden in Damavand, northeast of Tehran.

The killing has sparked widespread outrage on social media and renewed concerns over violence targeting Afghan migrants in Iran.

According to Damavand police commander Colonel Morteza Maleki, the victim, Amirtaha Rezaei, left home on July 2 to operate an excavator as part of his daily work. After several days of no contact, his family reported him missing.

A police investigation led to the discovery of his body, which had been buried in a garden in the Absard area.

“Following the missing person report, the matter was investigated. After police investigations led to the discovery of the buried body, the suspect was immediately identified and arrested. The suspect confessed to the murder during interrogation,” Maleki told local media.

Authorities say the suspect, an Iranian man from outside the Absard district, claimed the motive was rooted in “financial and work disputes.” However, BBC Persian quoted an informed source close to the family who denied this, saying Rezaei had no such conflicts and had simply gone to the garden for routine excavator work.

According to police, the suspect used a bladed weapon to carry out the killing before burying the body. Local witnesses reported that Rezaei’s hands were bound and his head had been severed, with part of the body protruding from the soil when it was discovered.

An alleged accomplice, who initially fled the scene, was arrested within 24 hours in a western province, Maleki confirmed, noting that the arrest was carried out “with judicial coordination.”

A community in fear

The gruesome murder has ignited anger across Afghan communities both inside Iran and abroad. Activists and social media users condemned what they view as a rising tide of violence and discrimination against Afghan refugees in Iran.

“This was not just a murder. It reflects the dangerous climate Afghan migrants are living in,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), as #JusticeForAmirtaha trended regionally.

The murder comes against the backdrop of an aggressive campaign by Iranian authorities to deport undocumented Afghans. According to UN agencies, over 500,000 Afghan refugees have been deported from Iran since June 24, with more than 5,000 children reportedly separated from their parents during the process.

While Afghan nationals in Iran have long faced social and legal discrimination, the crackdown has intensified dramatically since the recent conflict between Iran and Israel. During the 12-day war, deportations surged from an estimated 2,000 per day to over 30,000, as Iranian authorities redirected public anger toward the vulnerable Afghan community.

Human rights groups have urged Tehran to investigate the murder transparently and protect the rights of Afghan workers, many of whom fill low-paid but essential jobs across Iran.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan met on Tuesday with Yerkin Tukumov, his recently appointed Special Representative for Afghanistan, in a move signaling Astana’s growing diplomatic and economic engagement with Kabul.

The meeting, held in the presidential palace in Astana, focused on Kazakhstan’s efforts to expand humanitarian, economic, and multilateral cooperation with Afghanistan amid regional shifts.

Tokayev emphasized the importance of Tukumov’s new role and instructed him to step up bilateral engagement, especially in trade, humanitarian support, and sustainable development.

“Afghanistan remains a priority for Kazakhstan’s regional diplomacy,” Tokayev said, adding that the government would actively support efforts to promote stability and economic integration in the region.

Yerkin Tukumov was appointed Special Representative for Afghanistan in June 2025. Prior to this, he served as Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, a post through which he developed deep experience in regional security issues, cross-border trade, and Central-South Asia connectivity.

Tukumov also previously headed the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the president, one of the country’s leading policy think tanks.

His appointment reflects Kazakhstan’s heightened focus on Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021. While Astana has not formally recognized the Islamic Emirate, it has continued practical engagement through diplomatic channels, humanitarian assistance, and economic cooperation—especially in areas like food security, infrastructure, and transit.

Strategic engagement

Kazakhstan has also become increasingly active in Central and South Asia diplomacy, viewing Afghanistan as a critical link in regional connectivity. In recent years, Astana has hosted multiple international forums on Afghanistan, including UN-led conferences and regional security summits.

Earlier this year, Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding with Afghanistan’s authorities to explore the development of a rail corridor linking the two countries, aimed at enhancing trade and transport through Central Asia to South Asia.

The country is also home to the UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan, located in Almaty, which Tokayev said should be “more actively utilized” to support development and stability efforts in Afghanistan.

Kazakhstan continues to supply humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and has pledged further support in areas such as education, offering scholarships to Afghan students and hosting technical training programs for Afghan professionals.

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting held in Tianjin, China, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, emphasized the importance of national consensus and inclusive governance in Afghanistan as key priorities for regional stability.

In his statement delivered on Wednesday, July 16, Dar highlighted that the continued strengthening of a national consensus and ensuring ethnic and political inclusion within Afghanistan’s governing structures remain central issues for Pakistan and regional partners.

The Pakistani foreign minister stated that participants at the summit stressed the critical need to support an Afghanistan free from terrorism. He added, “There is a shared understanding of the importance of supporting Afghanistan’s reconstruction and ensuring its sustainable development as an independent, neutral, and peaceful country—free from terrorism and narcotics trafficking.”

Dar also noted that discussions during the meeting focused on enhancing regional security, with special emphasis on Afghanistan’s role in the broader stability of the region.

The SCO meeting comes at a time when international attention remains focused on Afghanistan’s political landscape, regional integration, and the collective responsibility of neighboring states in promoting peace, security, and development in the country.