Nearly 2,000 Afghan Prisoners Transferred from Iran to Taliban-Run Afghanistan

The Taliban-run prison administration in Afghanistan has announced that nearly 1,900 Afghan nationals imprisoned in Iran have been transferred to Afghan prisons since the Taliban took power.

According to information provided to Tolo News, some of these prisoners have been released after completing their sentences in Afghanistan, while others continue to serve their terms within the country’s prison system.

Mohammad Nasim Lalahand, spokesperson for the prison authority, stated that those transferred earlier have been freed upon finishing their sentences. However, some more recent transferees remain in custody based on their original convictions in Iran.

Legal experts are warning that the Taliban administration must carry out transparent, thorough, and lawful reviews of the inmates’ cases to prevent violations of their fundamental rights. Legal analyst Rohullah Sakhizad emphasized that denial of legal defense and incomplete investigations in the past could lead to further injustice.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Jamal Muslim, an advocate for migrant rights, stressed that these case reviews should be carried out under the supervision of organizations that uphold migrant and international legal rights. This would help determine whether the individuals are genuine offenders or victims of legal unawareness in their host country.

This prisoner transfer process, which occurs on a case-by-case basis between Iran and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, most recently took place two days ago. According to reports, 292 Afghan prisoners were transferred from Iranian prisons to Afghanistan. While such actions may strengthen legal cooperation between the two nations, the lack of transparency in handling the prisoners’ files continues to raise serious legal concerns.