<p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL</a> on Wednesday announced cancelling their security cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for what they said the organization’s noncooperation with Taliban’s inmates.</p>
<p>The Taliban’s move comes amid an ongoing hunger strike by a number of the group’s inmates in Pul-i-Charkhi prison in Kabul.</p>
<p>A statement from the Taliban on Wednesday said the ICRC’s mandate was to assist war-affected people and defend their rights.</p>
<p>“One of the organization’s responsibilities is protection of prisoners’ rights in <a href="/en/afghanistan" class="glossify-link">Afghanistan</a> jails, but unfortunately the ICRC’s aid goes to the sources which do not correspond with its main agenda”, the statement said.</p>
<p>The Taliban claimed hundreds of prisoners slipped into coma after denying food for 10 days and, but the ICRC did nothing to solve inmates’ problems.</p>
<p>“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan cancels its agreement based on which the ICRC was permitted to function in Afghanistan,” the statement added.</p>
<p>The Taliban said they did not guarantee protection of ICRC workers until the organization reached another agreement for appropriate activities.</p>
<p>The ICRC office in capital Kabul refused to comment about the Taliban’s statement.</p>
<p>mds/ma</p>
<p> </p>
