KABUL — Taliban have released 31 prisoners from Kandahar’s central prison following an order from their leader, the Taliban provincial governor’s office said in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement also noted that the sentences of 138 other prisoners had been reduced, but did not specify the charges or sentences of those released.
Taliban have not provided details on the identities of the prisoners or the reasons for their imprisonment.
Since returning to power in 2021, Taliban have detained dozens of individuals across multiple provinces, including Kabul, for protesting against their rule, advocating for women’s rights, or supporting girls’ education.
According to reports, approximately 1,400 women are currently being held in Taliban-run prisons across Afghanistan.
This month, the Taliban intelligence agency arrested three clerics in Kabul after they criticized Taliban policies. The clerics—Abdul Qadir Qanit, Mahmoud Hassan, and Abdul Aziz Shuja—had urged the Taliban to establish an inclusive government and restore women’s rights, during a press conference titled “Peace and Coexistence Among the Afghan People.”
Muslim scholars and former prosecutors have condemned the arrests, stating that the Taliban tolerate no dissent and use arrests to instill fear among the population.
