Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. (Credit: Archive photo: AFP)
The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have released nearly 2,500 prisoners ahead of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the Supreme Court announced on Saturday, in a country where the UN has warned about the growing prison population.
According to a message posted on X, “2,463 prisoners eligible for amnesty have been released, while 3,152 others had their sentences reduced,” in accordance with a decree from the Taliban’s supreme leader. The exact number of prisoners held by various security agencies in Afghanistan is unknown, but a spokesperson for the Office of Prisons Administration (OPA) told AFP on Saturday that between 11,000 and 12,000 convicts are under its custody.
Approximately the same number of individuals are in pretrial detention, awaiting sentencing, or appealing their cases, added the spokesperson, Mohamad Nasim Lalahand. The release of prisoners convicted of minor offenses is a common practice ahead of Eid al-Fitr, which is expected to begin Sunday or Monday.
Last year, the Taliban authorities, in power since 2021, released around 2,800 prisoners before the end of Ramadan, according to local media.
In October, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that it had been informed by the OPA that the prison population was increasing, with “more detainees being admitted each day than those being released.” UNAMA warned that the high number of arrests and long prison sentences are putting “unbearable pressure on Afghanistan’s prison facilities.”
The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have released nearly 2,500 prisoners ahead of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the Supreme Court announced on Saturday, in a country where the UN has warned about the growing prison population.According to a message posted on X, “2,463 prisoners eligible for amnesty have been released, while 3,152 others had their sentences reduced,” in accordance with a decree from the Taliban’s supreme leader. The exact number of prisoners held by various security agencies in Afghanistan is unknown, but a spokesperson for the Office of Prisons Administration (OPA) told AFP on Saturday that between 11,000 and 12,000 convicts are under its custody.Approximately the same number of individuals are in pretrial detention, awaiting sentencing, or appealing their cases, added the...