This is necessary to continue the ceasefire in the country and to start inter-Afghan negotiations, National Security Council spokesman Javad Faisal said.
Afghan authorities announced Tuesday the release from prison of 900 supporters of the radical movement “Taliban. This was reported by Afghan TV 1TV, National Security Council spokesman Javad Faisal said.
Faisal said, “Prisoners [Taliban supporters] are being released in order to continue the ceasefire in the country and start inter-Afghan negotiations. Authorities are said to be releasing the Taliban from prisons located in several Afghan provinces.”
Authorities ordered the release of 100 Taliban supporters from Bagram prison in Parwan Province on Monday. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ordered the release of up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners on Sunday as a sign of goodwill in response to a three-day truce declared by a radical movement for the Eid al-Fitr Muslim holiday.
Afghan authorities announced a temporary suspension of Taliban detainee release May 11 due to the Taliban’s delay in transferring Afghan captives to the government in Kabul. At the time, a National Security Council spokesman said, “authorities released 1,000 Taliban prisoners, while the Taliban only handed over 105 servicemen held in captivity by the radicals”.
On February 29, a peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban was signed in Doha. According to the agreements, the inter-Afghan consultations were to begin March 10. As agreed, up to 5,000 supporters of the movement and up to 1,000 people held by radicals should be released as part of confidence-building measures by the time the inter-Afghan talks began.