Afghan government frees 55 prisoners under peace deal

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - The Afghan government Monday released at least 55 prisoners associated with the Hezb-e-Islami (HI) party in line with a landmark peace deal inked last year, Kabul announced today.

These inmates were serving terms in the capital Kabul’s central Sarkhi Zandan prison for various political and criminal offensives, and were released following a decision by the joint commission of the HI and the Afghan government tasked to implement the peace deal.

More such prisoners are likely to be released soon.

Over the weekend, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the chief of Hezb-e-Islami, in his first public appearance after 20 years of self-imposed exile, urged the Taliban to follow suit and join the peace process.

Based on the September 2016 peace deal, the government of President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is bound to release such HI prisoners not accused of serious terrorism offenses. The government’s Media Relation and Coordination Department said in a statement that the government wants to release all HI prisoners in line with Afghan law.