Over 5,300 prisoners have been released from the jails in the country over the fear of COVID-19, an official from general directorate of prisons said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a number of prisoners at Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul have protested against bad conditions, especially over the lack of hygiene and safety against the coronavirus. The prisoners said that the cells are overcrowded and the inmates fear they will get infected.
An official from the directorate of prisons previously said that a sample taken from one of the detainees in the Pul-e-Charkhi jail was negative. Nonetheless, the Afghan Ministry of Public Health has warned that the virus could infiltrate the cells if the necessary measures not taken by the government.
“Various measures have been taken for the prisons, but the good news is that 10,000 will be released. The more you reduce the crowds, the more you prevent the spread of the virus,” said Waheedullah Mayar, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health.
On March 26 the Afghan government announced that based on President Ghani’s decree, up to 10,000 prisoners– including women and children–would be released in the upcoming 10 days to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Afghan detention centers.
Meanwhile, some of those recently released from the jails confirmed that the prisoners are very vulnerable in their cells because of the spread of COVID-19.
“Those who are held in the Kabul detention center are being kept in a bad situation and they are throwing water and food to them inside,” said Abdul Jameel, who was recently released from the jail.
