The administration of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has reportedly decided to free 88 prisoners lodged in the high-security Bagram air base north of Kabul, despite strong objection from the United States.
The US considers this a dangerous move and wants the prisoners to stay in detention until an Afghan court decides their fate.
The US transferred the control of Bagram Prison to Afghan authorities in March last year after it became a serious source of tension between the two countries.
The US reportedly delayed the transfer of the prison to Afghan authorities citing thorny issues, especially related to detaining Afghans without trial and to block the release of detainees the US considers particularly dangerous.
Reportedly, Bagram houses more than 3,000 inmates who are mostly Taliban fighters.
After the US forces handed Bagram prison to the Kabul government, Afghan authorities released more than 650 prisoners last week.
Afghanistan authorities feel that there is no evidence against the prisoners that warrants their detention.
The Australian quoted Abdul Shakoor Dadras, who heads a panel that review’s the prisoners’ background saying, “They have passed long terms in detention without being assessed. So, we decided to free them.”
However, last week US senators in Afghanistan reportedly requested that Karzai stop the release of prisoners warning the move would irreparably damage relations with the United States.
According to US officials, the 88 prisoners are Taliban fighters involved in attacks that killed at least 60 American soldiers and more than 50 civilians.
NBC News quoted Col. Dave Lapan, a spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan:
“The Afghan Review Board has exceeded its mandate and ordered the release of a number of dangerous individuals who are legitimate threats and for whom there is strong evidence supporting prosecution or further investigation.”
The decision to release the 88 prisoners could be another setback to the US-Afghan relations already strained due to the disagreement on the withdrawal of US troops.
Relations between the two nations strained particularly after Karzai refused to sign a bilateral security deal that would grant immunity to US troops in Afghanistan after 2014.
The Bilateral Security Agreement would allow the stay of a residual 8,000 US troops after 2014 when most of the foreign troops would leave Afghanistan.
Without a bilateral security deal, Afghanistan faces the burden of facing the Taliban without US-NATO assistance. Karzai reportedly wants to sign the deal after the 2014 Afghan presidential elections.
*Sources linked within text.