Afghan Youths Struck by Turkish Border Guards and Frostbite, Amputations Follow

Sun Sep 06 2026 09:17:36 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A group of Afghan migrants were beaten, denied aid, and left in brutal cold, resulting in severe frostbite and multiple amputations.

a team of young Afghans attempting to reach Europe in January faced brutal treatment by Turkish border guards, who beat and stripped them before sending them into sub‑zero weather conditions. Many suffered cold‑related injuries, with eleven of twelve who survived experiencing fatal frostbite that left hands and legs amputated. The Turkish foreign ministry denied wrongdoing, while human‑rights activists highlighted a pattern of dangerous push‑backs along the Iran‑Turkey border. The refugees were eventually transported back to Afghanistan, where delayed medical care allowed further amputations and extensive suffering.

WARNING: This article contains graphic descriptions of violence and torture that may distress readers.

In mid‑January, a group of about fifty undocumented Afghan migrants were intercepted by Turkish border guards in Van, a city near the Iranian frontier. The migrants, all under 25, were forced onto the road and subsequently beaten with iron rods, stripped of their clothing, and deprived of basic sustenance.

According to the survivors, they were held in a warehouse for several nights while snow fell, receiving only water and a single portion of dry bread daily. Afterward, they were compelled to perform forced labor, clearing snow and carrying wood in freezing temperatures that dipped to ‑15°C.

One survivor, Shahsawar, 21, was later taken to Kabul and found both his hands and legs below the skin, necessitating immediate amputations. He recalled, “I raised my hands – they felt light. Both had been cut off,” and that his throat closed, rendering him unable to speak.

Other survivors reported that thirteen‑year‑old Asim and other teens were left frozen, with several bodies found in the snow, one of them lifeless. Ice‑clad limbs and the inability to use hands were common motifs following the assault.

The Turkish foreign ministry has issued statements that border forces acted within national and international law, providing detainees with food, water, and medical care. However, it failed to mention the alleged beatings.

Activists such as Şafak Bozkurt and Zakira Hikmat, based in Turkey, have documented similar incidents since the Taliban ruled Afghanistan in 2021, noting that increased border surveillance forces migrants onto perilous mountain routes.

On 29 January, Afghan diplomatic officials in Tehran announced intermediaries had relocated the group—now under the care of the Red Crescent Society—including a boy named Danial whose body was discovered in the snow. The group was subsequently moved to Herat Province and then to Kabul for medical treatment.

When they reached a Kabul hospital, the lengthening of frozen tissue turned many limbs black and painfully itchy, culminating in surgical amputation. Only early and rapid treatment can mitigate frostbite, and for these youths, the damage was irreversible.