Iran Repatriates 81 More Afghan Prisoners to Kabul

The Taliban administration’s embassy in Tehran has announced that 81 Afghan nationals convicted and imprisoned in Iran have been transferred to Kabul as part of the second phase of a prisoner transfer process between the two countries.

The transfer was carried out in accordance with a bilateral agreement between Iran and Afghanistan on the repatriation of prisoners, with coordination from Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, and the Joint Committee on Prisoner Transfers.

According to the embassy, the total number of Afghan prisoners transferred from Iran to Afghanistan has now reached 292 following the completion of the two phases. The transferred prisoners had been held in the provinces of Razavi Khorasan, Kerman, West Azerbaijan, and South Khorasan.

While the return of Afghan prisoners from abroad may help alleviate some of the legal challenges faced by Afghan citizens, the lack of a recognized legitimate government in Kabul raises concerns about the fate of these individuals after their return.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that, in the absence of a functioning judicial system, justice for these returnees may be compromised. So far, the Taliban administration has not provided a transparent or verifiable process for addressing the legal status and rights of repatriated prisoners.