The Taliban authorities have disclosed information regarding the number of inmates in Afghan prisons, shedding light on the composition of the incarcerated population, Daryo correspondent reported from Afghanistan on August 13. The statistics were officially released by officials from the Department of Prison Affairs during a press conference held in Kabul. This move provides a rare glimpse into the current state of Afghanistan's correctional system, including the presence of foreign nationals among the detainees.
Officials disclosed that there are presently 16,000 individuals incarcerated in Afghan prisons, spanning a range of offences. Notably, more than 2,000 of these inmates are women and children, underscoring the varied demographics of the incarcerated population. Furthermore, the data indicates that a total of 16 foreign nationals are among the imprisoned individuals, with 15 of them being women.
The revelations were presented by Qori Habibullah Badr, the military deputy of the Taliban prisons administration, during the press conference. Qori Habibullah Badr confirmed the accuracy of the statistical information, thereby lending credibility to the numbers provided. However, Qori Habibullah Badr refrained from disclosing the specific countries of origin for the foreign prisoners in Afghanistan.
On August 12, Khaama Press reported that, foreign nationals from both the United States and the United Kingdom are held in detention in Afghanistan. During a recent meeting in Doha, U.S. envoys Thomas West and Rina Amiri engaged with Taliban's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to secure the release of American prisoners held in Taliban prisons. The U.S. officials emphasised "immediate and unconditional" release of these citizens. While the exact count of American detainees remains uncertain, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken verified around 175 U.S. citizens in Afghanistan, some arriving after the government's collapse in 2021.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Yusuf Mestri, Director General of Prisons Administration, disclosed Iran's extradition of 1,230 Afghan citizens in drug cases, while around 4,000 Afghans are imprisoned in Iran for various charges. Taliban efforts commuted death sentences for 250 citizens to imprisonment, signaling their administrative influence.
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