Iran transfers 292 Afghan inmates back to homeland

The Iranian Ministry of Justice has reported that 292 Afghan prisoners have been transferred from Iran back to their home country.

The Afghan inmates were handed over to representatives of the Taliban authorities at the Dogharun–Islam Qala border crossing, Mehr reports.

According to the ministry, the crimes committed by the Afghan prisoners were mostly drug-related, and the transfer process will continue in line with bilateral agreements signed between the two countries.

Iran and Afghanistan maintain a long-standing agreement on the exchange of prisoners, particularly those convicted of drug-related crimes. Iran, which lies on a major narcotics trafficking route from Afghanistan to Europe, holds thousands of Afghan nationals in its prisons. Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Tehran has kept working-level cooperation with the de facto authorities, especially on border security, migration issues and the repatriation of Afghan citizens. 

By Khagan Isayev