The press office of the Taliban governor in Nimruz province has confirmed that the Islamic Republic of Iran handed over 199 Afghan prisoners to Taliban officials at the Pul-e-Abrisham border crossing on Thursday evening.
Ahmad Yousuf Mistari, head of the Taliban’s Prison Affairs Administration, stated that Iran is expected to transfer an additional 484 Afghan inmates in the near future. He noted that the repatriation process follows bilateral discussions between Taliban representatives and Iranian authorities. The returned prisoners will serve the remainder of their sentences in their respective home provinces across Afghanistan.
As part of a reciprocal gesture, the Taliban announced the release of two Iranian prisoners to officials of the Islamic Republic, describing the move as an act of “goodwill and constructive engagement.” The Nimruz governor’s office also reported that, under earlier agreements, 211 Afghan inmates had already been repatriated from Iran.
In March, Askar Jalalian, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Justice for Human Rights and International Affairs, confirmed the handover of 149 Afghan prisoners to the Taliban, stating they were returned to continue serving their sentences in Afghanistan.
The Taliban had previously announced in January that Iran intends to repatriate a total of 1,500 Afghan prisoners over the coming months as part of an ongoing transfer agreement.
