Iran Hands Over Scores Of Afghan Prisoners To Taliban

Over 100 Afghans serving prison sentences in Iran were handed over to the Taliban on Sunday.

“As a result of the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs… 101 Afghan prisoners were transferred again in Nimruz in connection with the agreement reached with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry on Monday.

Fazl Mohammad Haqqani, Chargé d’affaires of the Afghan Embassy in Tehran told Radio Farda, the Persian Service of Radio Free Europe in Prague that “250 to 260 more prisoners will be handed over to the Islamic Emirate at Islam Qala border on Wednesday.”

According to Haqqani, the prisoners were mostly incarcerated on charges of drug trafficking and fighting, but none of them were sentenced to death.

Human rights organizations had earlier announced at least six Afghan citizens were executed in Iranian prisons and some more have received the death penalty.

At least 457 Afghan prisoners were also handed over to Afghanistan by Iranian authorities back in March, amid deep concerns over the Taliban’s human rights record.

Despite international pressure not to recognize Kabul’s government, Tehran is handing over the inmates to the Taliban which may put their lives in danger.

Afghanistan’s embassy was also handed over to the Taliban by Iran, provoking outrage among Afghans.

However, the tensions over the water share of Iran from the Helmand River have strained the ties between Tehran and the Taliban.

Iran has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban of violating a 1973 treaty by restricting the flow of water from the river to Iran’s parched eastern regions, an accusation denied by the Taliban.