Talks with US on prisoners exchange inconclusive: Fitrat

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) is in talks with the Unites States on prisoner exchange, but no result has been achieved so far, an official says.

IEA deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat in an audio clip said: “Discussions regarding the exchange of prisoners with the Americans have been held from time to time, but we have not reached any conclusions yet.”

He added: “Several of our innocent citizens have been illegally detained by the Americans for years without any trial, and the Islamic Emirate is making efforts to secure their release.”

Fitrat did not elaborate further on details about the Afghan prisoners held by the US.

The US has been in discussions with the interim Afghan government for months about a deal to free Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmoud Habibi, CNN quoted a source last week.

The three Americans were detained in Afghanistan in 2022. But the government in Kabul has not yet acknowledged detaining Habibi.

Muhammad Rahim al Afghani is held at the notorious detention facility in Cuba. Kabul has sought Rahim’s release and two other people.

The United States (US) had offered releasing a Guantanamo Bay prisoner in return for three Americans detained in Afghanistan

However, IEA chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had previously said that only two Americans were detained in Afghanistan and that the Islamic Emirate was ready to release them in exchange for Afghan detainees held in the US.

Mujahid clarified that Mahmoud Shah Habibi was not in the custody of the Islamic Emirate.

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