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Freed Taliban prisoners could return to battlefield: AIHRC
Concerned about the release of thousands of Taliban prisoners, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) says that there is no guarantee that these fighters would not return to the battlefield.
Thousands of Taliban prisoners, when released, put their finger on a document and sign it so that they would not return to the battlefield again. However, this guarantee is not enough for the Afghan Human Rights Commission. The head of the commission considers the guarantees obtained from these prisoners to be very weak.
“There is no guarantee that these prisoners will not return to the battlefield,” said Shahzad Akbar, head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.
But the distance from prison to the battlefield is seen to have been short for Taliban detainees.
According to security officials, Qari Rohullah, one of the released Taliban prisoners who had returned to war after his release from prison, was wounded in a clash with security forces on the Kabul-Jalalabad highway, with more than a dozen of his subordinates being killed.
“Qari Rohullah was the one who was recently released from our prison,” said Ghulam Haidar Rahmanzai, Laghman’s national security chief.
But a Taliban spokesman called the reports of the return of those released on the battlefield baseless and an excuse for the release of the remaining prisoners of the group.
“This is the reason why the security forces do not believe in the release of the Taliban prisoners,” said Manzour Stanekzai, Laghman’s security commander.
The release of five thousand Taliban prisoners is one of the main conditions for the start of negotiations between the Afghans. Human rights organizations have called the release of these Taliban fighters without strong guarantees, dangerous. But the Taliban have repeatedly insisted on their commitment to the peace deal with the United States.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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