UNAMA: The number of prisoners in Kabul’s Pul-e-Charkhi prison is increasing
Bayan News – Roza Otunbayeva, head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), stated that more than five thousand people are currently being held in Pul-e-Charkhi prison, and the number of prisoners in this facility is rising.
Otunbayeva visited Pul-e-Charkhi prison two days ago and held talks with the head of the Taliban’s prison administration. She noted that UNAMA welcomes the commitment of the prison authorities under the current administration to improve the conditions of prisoners and ensure continuous access for human rights teams to the prisons.
In a statement released by UNAMA on Thursday, October 10, Otunbayeva was quoted saying: “Monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation is a key part of the mandate given to us by the United Nations Security Council, and I welcome the ongoing commitment of the prison administration to ensure our human rights teams have the necessary access to prisons across the country, including women’s prisons.”
Otunbayeva emphasized: “All prisoners have fundamental rights, and we share common interests in ensuring that these rights are fully respected.”
The UNAMA chief also expressed concern about the lack of sufficient legal assistance services for prisoners, especially women. She highlighted the need to specialize prison services to better protect the fundamental rights of detainees and pointed out how challenges in the criminal justice system – including high arrest rates and lengthy sentences imposed by judicial authorities – are placing excessive pressure on the prisons.
Otunbayeva stressed that there must be a focus on addressing the root causes of over-incarceration, stating: “More work is needed to support the rights of prisoners within the judicial system, including providing legal assistance, timely trials, and alternative sentencing options.”
She also confirmed that UNAMA will continue its engagement with other Taliban departments to ensure access to all detention centers, including oversight of facilities managed by the Ministry of Interior and the General Directorate of Intelligence.
