Afghanistan: Taliban releases prisoners ahead of Eid

Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Saturday, March 29, 2025, released nearly 2,500 prisoners.

The Supreme Court announced that this comes ahead of celebrations marking the end of Ramadan.

in a country where the UN has warned of a growing prison population.

The exact number of prisoners held by various security bodies in Afghanistan is unclear.

But a spokesman for the Office of Prison Administration (OPA) told a News agency on Saturday that between 11,000 and 12,000 convicted prisoners were in the authority’s custody.

Around the same number are in detention awaiting trial, sentencing or appeal, spokesman Mohamad Nasim Lalahand added.

The supreme court said on X that “2,463 prisoners who were eligible for amnesty were released.

It also disclosed that 3,152 others received sentence reductions” as per a decree by the Taliban supreme leader.

The release of prisoners convicted of minor crimes is common practice ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, expected to start on Sunday or Monday.

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has detained hundreds of individuals, including:

women, civil society activists, journalists, former government employees, and those critical of the regime.

While some have been released after providing guarantees, many remain in custody.

Allegations of abuse inside Taliban detention centers have also been mounting.

Multiple reports point to patterns of physical violence, torture, sexual assault, and other forms of mistreatment.

In a joint investigation published in November 2024 by The Guardian and Afghan news outlet Zan Times, women shared harrowing accounts of abuse inside Taliban prisons.

Several described being raped, beaten, and forced to work while incarcerated.

One woman said she witnessed two children being beaten to death in a detention center in Kabul.

Human rights advocates have repeatedly called for independent access to Taliban-run prisons.

They warned that without international scrutiny, detainees, particularly women and children, remain at serious risk of abuse.

Eid is an important time for Muslims around the world, symbolizing peace, joy, and reflection.

The release of the prisoners may be seen as an effort to foster goodwill, potentially improve relations with various factions within the country, and show clemency.

These releases could be a part of broader strategies for reconciliation or aimed at strengthening the Taliban’s political position in Afghanistan.

This is especially with the international community and within the country.

Depending on the individuals released, this could also affect the dynamics of conflict, security, and the political climate.

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