Iran hands over 101 prisoners to Afghanistan

Iran on Sunday handed over 101 Afghans to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) who were serving prison sentences in the neighboring country.

The IEA’s foreign ministry on Monday confirmed the handover and said: “As a result of the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Directorate of Follow-up and Supervision of the Leader’s Orders and the General Director of Prisons, 100 Afghan prisoners were transferred again in Nimruz in connection with the agreement reached with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The prisoners were handed over to the Afghan government through the Silk Port, the ministry said.

Iran’s Deputy Director of International Affairs and Human Rights at the Ministry of Justice, Askar Jalalian, confirmed the handover on Sunday and said that the individuals were handed over to the IEA at the Nimroz border to continue serving the remainder of their sentences in Afghanistan.

“The handover was made possible through the joint efforts of the Committee for the Transfer of Convicts at the Ministry of Justice, along with the cooperation of the judiciary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Prisons Organization. In addition, diplomatic and legal consultations were held between Iran and the Taliban to facilitate this process.” Jalalian said.

Last year, a total of 800 Afghans imprisoned in Iranian facilities were handed over to the IEA to serve the remaining terms of their sentences in Afghanistan.