Turkish Police Beat Us with Iron Rods Before We Lost Limbs to Frostbite, Afghans Say

Turkish police beat us with iron – Twenty-one-year-old Shahsawar, a migrant from Afghanistan, recounts waking up in a Kabul hospital to find both his hands and legs missing. “I raised my hands—they felt light. Both had been cut off,” he tells the BBC, his voice trembling with the memory of the traumatic event. The teenager’s account is part of a broader narrative shared by a dozen young Afghans who attempted to reach Europe in January. They describe being subjected to brutal treatment by Turkish border guards, followed by exposure to freezing temperatures that led to severe frostbite and the eventual loss of limbs.

A Violent Journey Through the Cold

The group of 50 undocumented Afghan migrants, many under the age of 25, was apprehended in mid-January after crossing the Iranian border into the eastern Turkish city of Van. There, temperatures had dropped to a bone-chilling -15°C, leaving the captives vulnerable to the elements. According to the survivors, the border guards began by lining the migrants up and striking them with iron bars. “They kept us for several nights in a warehouse, where snow was falling on us. And they gave us only water and dry bread once a day,” Shahsawar explains.

Alwaldin, a 23-year-old in the group, adds that the migrants were forced to perform grueling physical labor. “We had to carry wood and clear snow,” he says. The harsh conditions were compounded by the fact that many had been stripped of their clothing, leaving them with nothing but a pair of trousers. Asim, a 13-year-old boy, was among those who could not find his family or the smuggler who had promised to take him to Europe. “I couldn’t even tell them my name,” he says, though his voice is lost in the cold.

On 25 January, the violence escalated. The migrants were once again lined up by the border guards, this time with their hands tied and forced to crawl on their stomachs toward a hill. “Some people’s heads were broken and blood was flowing over their shoulders,” Alwaldin says. The group was left disoriented and battered, with many unable to use their hands due to the beating. “They gave us no shelter, just the open snow,” Shahsawar recalls. “The paths were covered in snow. And we didn’t know which direction to go or whether we would survive.”

Frostbite and the Loss of Limbs

As the temperature plummeted, the survivors were left to endure the cold without proper clothing or footwear. “Our shoes and socks were removed, leaving us with only trousers,” Shahsawar says. “It was a stormy night, with heavy snowfall and almost no visibility.” The group was then pushed through barbed wire into Iran, where they were left to fend for themselves. Within hours, the effects of the cold became apparent. “We were so frozen that we couldn’t even speak,” Shahsawar says, describing how he and Asim, another 13-year-old, struggled to stay alive.

One of the group, a boy named Danial, was lost almost immediately in the blizzard. His body was later discovered in the snow, according to the migrants. “He had no chance,” Shahsawar says. “The cold was too much for him.” Meanwhile, Asim, who had been wandering alone, was found by other migrants days later. The teenager was wet, frostbitten, and poorly dressed. “He seemed too cold to speak,” Shahsawar says, “but when his rescuers asked if he was alone, he pointed with his hand to the rock where I was sheltering.” That simple gesture, he believes, saved his life.

By the time the group reached the relative safety of Afghanistan, at least 20 individuals had perished from the cold. Eleven of the 12 men and boys who spoke to the BBC eventually lost limbs to frostbite. “I noticed that Ahmed had stopped breathing,” Shahsawar says, describing how he held the boy in his arms as he succumbed to the freezing conditions. The survivors were then transported overland to Herat Province, where they were finally reunited with their families. However, the ordeal was far from over.

土耳其 Officials’ Response

When questioned about the allegations, Turkish authorities did not directly address the violence. Instead, the foreign ministry emphasized that border forces adhered to national and international laws, providing detained migrants with food, water, and medical care. “They followed the rules and ensured our basic needs were met,” a spokesperson said. However, the migrants dispute this claim, citing the lack of adequate shelter and the brutality they endured.

The Afghan embassy in Tehran intervened on 29 January, taking urgent steps to locate and assist the stranded migrants. Four days later, the group was transferred by the Red Crescent Society to Herat Province, and subsequently to Kabul for further treatment. Despite this, the physical toll of the journey was immense. “We were in so much pain, and the cold had taken a heavy toll,” one of the survivors says. “Even after being brought back, we couldn’t move properly.”

Shahsawar’s case is particularly harrowing. His legs and hands were amputated after he regained consciousness in a Kabul hospital. “My throat closed up and I couldn’t speak,” he says. The medical team described the frostbite as severe, with some limbs beyond repair. For the other survivors, the process of recovery has been equally challenging. “It’s like we’re walking through a nightmare,” Alwaldin says. “We lost our hope when we were beaten, and then we lost our limbs in the cold.”

A Broader Pattern of Suffering

The incident highlights a growing concern about the treatment of migrants on the Turkey-Iran border. According to the group, the border guards had a systematic approach to dealing with those crossing into Van. “They would beat us, then leave us to freeze,” Shahsawar says. “We didn’t know if we would live to see another day.” The conditions in the warehouse, where the group was detained, were described as harsh and unforgiving. “There was no heat, no blankets, and no way to keep warm,” Alwaldin says. “We were just waiting for death.”

While the Turkish authorities maintain that they followed procedures, the migrants argue that the circumstances were far more severe. “They promised to take us to Europe, but instead, they beat us and threw us into the cold,” Asim says. The group’s accounts suggest that the journey from Turkey to Iran was a calculated effort to disorient and weaken the migrants. “We were not allowed to rest, and our bodies couldn’t handle the strain,” Shahsawar says. “Every step felt like a punishment.”

Despite the suffering, the group remains determined to share their story. “We want the world to know what happened to us,” Alwaldin says. “No one should have to go through that.” Their experiences have sparked a wave of outrage, with international organizations calling for an investigation into the treatment of Afghan migrants in Turkey. The Red Crescent Society’s involvement in rescuing the group has been a lifeline, but the long-term effects of the cold and beatings continue to haunt the survivors.

As the winter months pass, the survivors are slowly recovering. Yet, the trauma of the journey lingers. “We still dream about the cold and the pain,” Shahsawar says. “Every time I move, I remember the feeling of frostbite.” The group’s ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those attempting to cross into Europe. For them, the path to safety was paved with blood, ice, and despair.