The Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has reported that around 12,000 Afghan refugees are currently imprisoned in Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. Last year, the ministry managed to secure the release of over 4,000 Afghans from prisons in these countries, reports Caravan-info.pro.
According to ministry spokesperson Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, most of the imprisoned Afghans are in Iran and Pakistan.
His data shows that approximately 8,000 Afghans are held in Iran, around 3,000 in Pakistan, and about 1,000 in Turkey. The Taliban authorities have not specified the crimes these individuals were charged with but claim they are actively working toward their release.
Haqqani added that over the past year, the ministry successfully repatriated more than 3,000 Afghans from Pakistan and 1,350 from Iran.
Additionally, the ministry announced that it has reached agreements with several countries regarding the return of Afghan prisoners. In most cases, these individuals were arrested for illegal residency or drug use.
In February and March 2025, Iran transferred 500 Afghan prisoners to the Taliban. Iranian authorities stated that these individuals had not committed political crimes.
However, human rights organizations have criticized the conditions Afghan prisoners face in Iranian and Pakistani prisons. The Norway-based Iranian Human Rights Organization reported that in 2024, Iran executed at least 80 Afghans - the highest number of foreign nationals executed in the country.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
April 2, 2025