Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have released about 2.500 prisoners ahead of the start of the Ramadan holiday, which marks the end of the month-long Muslim fast, the country's Supreme Court announced today, as the number of prisoners has increased.
According to a message on the X platform, exactly 2.463 prisoners eligible for amnesty have been released, while 3.152 prisoners have had their sentences reduced.
The exact number of prisoners held by various security agencies in Afghanistan is not known, but a spokesman for the Bureau of Prisons Administration told AFP today that there are between 11.000 and 12.000 convicts in prisons.
The same number are in custody awaiting trial.
Releasing prisoners convicted of minor offenses is common practice ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which is scheduled to begin tomorrow or Monday.
Taliban authorities released around 2.800 prisoners last year near the end of Ramadan, local media reported.
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