2 weeks Ago By Mohammad Asem
KABUL (Pajhwok): A Supreme Court (SC) delegation has assured its full readiness to transfer Afghan prisoners from Iran to the country. The delegation urged Iranian authorities to expedite this process after verifying the prisoners' identities. During a visit to Tehran, the judicial team, led by Sheikh Abdul Malik Haqqani, the deputy head of the Supreme Court, met Iran’s Minister of Justice, Amin Hossein Rahimi, Deputy Minister for International Affairs, Askar Jalalian and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to a statement from the Supreme Court.
The statement said discussions focused on strengthening judicial and legal cooperation between the two countries, reconsidering the death sentences of Afghan prisoners in Iran, exploring alternatives to executions for death-row prisoners, and resolving the issue of Afghan refugees’ bank account closures in certain Iranian cities. Haqqani emphasised that Afghanistan and Iran are two Muslim and neighboring countries with shared religious, cultural, linguistic, and other commonalities. He stressed the importance of mutual cooperation in judicial and legal matters.
Regarding the transfer of prisoners, Haqqani stated: “We are fully prepared for the process of transferring Afghan prisoners to our country and request that this process be expedited after the verification of prisoners’ identities.” However, the statement did not disclose the number of Afghans imprisoned in Iran or how many are on death row. Haqqani also addressed the extradition of criminals from Iran, saying: “Sometimes, a number of Afghan criminals flee to Iran after committing crimes in Afghanistan.
Therefore, we request Iranian officials to fully cooperate with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s relevant departments in extraditing them upon receiving formal requests.” Additionally, Haqqani discussed sharing the list of Afghan prisoners sentenced to death in Iran, increasing cooperation between Afghanistan and Iran’s Interpol departments, and other important issues. In response, Iran’s Minister of Justice and Deputy Minister for International Affairs assured the Afghan delegation of their commitment to strengthening judicial and legal cooperation between the two countries.
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