Taliban say detainee released from Guantanamo after 'positive interaction' with US

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - The US has released another Afghan detainee from Guantanamo prison, the interim Taliban administration said on Friday.

In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said one of their detainees, Assadullah Haroon, has been released and handed over to the Taliban.

"As a result of the efforts of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and its direct and positive interaction with the United States, one of the remaining two detainees, Asadullah Haroon, was released from Guantanamo prison," said Mujahid, using the pre-2001 name of the landlocked-country when it was under Taliban rule.

"As a result of IEA’s efforts, today, we are witnessing the release of Assadullah Haroon from Guantanamo prison and his reunion with his family years later," he added.

He thanked the government of Qatar for their help.

Haroon spent 15 years in the offshore prison notorious for grave human rights violations.

Mujahid said some Afghans have been detained in other countries as well and the interim Taliban administration is currently in contact with these states to secure their release.

However, he did not share the number of detainees and the names of countries.

"IEA, considers this as its duty to release Afghans detained in other countries and strives to ensure that no Afghan remains oppressed in any country of the world," he said.