Iran Judiciary Acts against Hate Speech Targeting Afghanistan Migrants

DID Press: Over past two years, anti-immigrant currents in Iran, through coordinated and opaque channels, have sought to sow distrust and animosity between Iranians and Afghanistani migrants by amplifying domestic challenges and fostering a hostile atmosphere. Among the most visible figures in this campaign was Hadi Kasaizadeh, whose writings, reports, and public statements systematically fueled negative sentiment against migrants. Observers noted that his remarks not only strayed far from social realities but also tarnished the image of the Islamic Republic of Iran among public opinion in Afghanistan and the wider region.

In response, the Iranian judiciary took legal action, sentencing Kasaizadeh to 15 months in prison and ordering him to pay a fine of 700 million tomans. The decision underscored that responsible institutions in Iran are not indifferent to the dangerous consequences of hate speech and remain sensitive to attempts at undermining fraternal relations between the two Muslim nations of Iran and Afghanistan.

Kasaizadeh, however, rejected the ruling, calling it “unjust” and proclaiming his innocence—a move the judiciary has described as warranting itself legal review.

What is significant about the case, commentators argue, is not merely the punishment of one individual, but rather the effort to disrupt a wider media-driven, anti-immigrant agenda that, through distortion and incitement, seeks to inflame divisions and weaken the historical, cultural, and religious bonds between Iranians and Afghanistan poeple.

While the two nations share deep-rooted ties and traditions of coexistence, certain hostile actors have attempted to sever this relationship and sour long-standing memories of Iranian hospitality toward Afghanistan migrants. The judiciary’s latest decision is being viewed as a step toward safeguarding these ties and as a potential model for firm action against similar campaigns of hate speech in the future.