Iran, Taliban Discuss Release of Iranian Citizens from Afghan Jails

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have agreed to release Iranians imprisoned in the country, amid growing diplomatic activity between Kabul and Tehran.

The decision was made on April 3 after Seyyed Hassan Mortazavi, the deputy ambassador of the Iranian Embassy in Kabul, met with Taliban Attorney-General Molavi Shamsuddin Pahlawan, according to Fars news agency.

Pahlawan announced that the Taliban interim government will soon finalize a list of Iranian nationals imprisoned in Afghanistan for possible release.

The Iranian deputy ambassador said that Tehran's “priority is to follow up on issues related to Iranian prisoners in Afghanistan.”

It is not clear how many Iranians are currently held in Afghan prisons.

During the Kabul meeting, the Taliban attorney-general said that recent bilateral agreements will help solve problems faced by Afghan citizens in Iran, as well as other legal and judicial issues between the two neighboring countries.

Pahlawan expressed gratitude for the release of 857 Afghan prisoners by the Islamic Republic of Iran earlier this year, after representatives of the Taliban Prosecutor-General's Office visited Tehran.

Iran has taken a cautious approach toward Afghanistan’s rulers following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021.

Officially, Tehran will only recognize an "inclusive" government in Kabul that includes representatives from all Afghan ethnic groups and factions.

But Iran has recently handed over Afghanistan's Embassy in Tehran to the Taliban, triggering anger among Afghans.