Two days after the government started the release of the 400 high-value Taliban prisoners, an official from the High Council for National Reconciliation said some countries are opposing the freeing of six of the inmates that are accused of killing citizens of those countries.
The United States, France and Australia are the countries that are opposing the release of some of the prisoners, according to sources within the government, but reports confirm the position of Australia and France only.
President Ashraf Ghani signed the decree to release the prisoners a week ago, a process that was first approved by the Loya Jirga, the grand council of at least 3,400 delegates.
A spokesman of the council, Fraidoon Khwazoon, said the release of the prisoners will continue and the Afghan government is in talks with the three countries to prevent any challenge for the peace process and to maintain its relations with these nations.
Reuters also reported that France that has asked the Afghan government not to release Taliban fighters convicted of killing French citizens.
Before the start of the process, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last week he had lobbied for a former Afghan army soldier, who went rogue and killed three Australian colleagues, to stay in jail, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
“There is some criticism against (the release) of some prisoners, a limited number of prisoners, but we hope that intra-Afghan negotiations should not be delayed. The Afghan government is trying to overcome the issue in a way to maintain the current opportunity and our relations with the international community,” Khwazoon said.
