Iran to transfer 1,000 Afghan prisoners

KABUL (Pajhwok): Iran will repatriate a thousand Afghan prisoners to their home country over the next two months, says an official.

Ahead of his visit to Afghanistan, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Justice Askar Jalalian said the prisoners would serve their jail terms in their own country

The deputy minister, who also chairs the committee on transfer of convicts, made the announcement in an interview with IRNA on Wednesday.

He explained the inmates would be transferred only if they agreed to the decision, based on human rights principles and laws.

Jalalian said the interim Afghan government remained committed to the Tehran-Kabul agreement on prisoner transfers, signed about 20 years ago.

The neighbours, having linguistic, cultural, religious and other commonalities, enjoyed cordial relations, the official added.

“Some ill-wishers might be unwilling to see Iran’s deep cooperation with its neighbours, so Tehran and Kabul should try to keep their ties cordial,” he stressed.

Afghan prisoners in Iran were mostly convicted of drug trafficking, he said, revealing the number of Iranian inmates in Afghanistan was less than 10.

During his visit to Kabul, Jalalian will discuss the transfer of Afghan prisoners in Iran, as well as the repatriation of Iranian inmates from Afghanistan.

PAN Monitor/mud