There are around 12,000 men and at least 1,000 women convicted by the country’s courts in Afghan prisons. Mohammad Yusuf Mestri, director general of the Directorate of Prisons, told Ariana News.
Mestri said that among those detained in the country’s prisons there are also 100 foreign citizens who have committed various crimes. Around 12,000 suspects are detained on charges of various crimes and no final court ruling has yet been issued against them.
He highlighted that a committee has been created to transfer Afghan prisoners from abroad to the country with the participation of representatives of the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Justice, the Supreme Court and the Department of Penitentiary Administration. As a result of the committee’s efforts, two prisoners from China, three from Kuwait, two from Yemen and 158 other prisoners from Iran were transferred to the country.
The official assured that there is no torture in Afghan prisons. He said the Bureau of Prisons intends to give U.N. rights groups access to Afghan prisons, including women’s prisons. He added that there are good conditions, especially in the fields of religious, modern, vocational and sports education for all prisoners, especially women, and that many professional instructors are dedicated to teaching in prisons.
