Iran-Taliban Talks Address Prisoner Transfers

Iran’s Deputy Minister for International Affairs and Human Rights at the Ministry of Justice, Askar Jalalian, led a delegation to Afghanistan to discuss issues related to migrants, including the transfer of 1,000 Afghan prisoners into Taliban custody.

Jalalian stated that most of these prisoners had been convicted of drug-related crimes. He emphasized that only those who consented to the transfer would be sent back to Afghanistan, adding that prisoners sentenced to execution or retribution would not be repatriated, according to the state-run IRNA news agency on November 13.

Jalalian also mentioned that the agreement between Iran and Afghanistan, originally signed in 2006, remains binding, with the Taliban expressing its commitment to the terms.

The Iranian Ministry of Justice previously announced plans to transfer 1,000 Afghan prisoners to the Taliban within the next two months.

Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, reported that out of 7,000 Afghan prisoners detained in Iran as of August, 4,000 had already been transferred. Meanwhile, Iranian officials estimate the number of Afghan migrants in the country to be between 5 and 6 million, though some sources suggest it could be as high as 10 million.

In January, Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy for International Affairs of the Judiciary and Secretary of Iran’s Human Rights Headquarters, met with the Taliban’s foreign minister and judicial officials. They discussed various topics, including counter-terrorism, anti-extremism efforts, the transfer of convicts, the extradition of criminals, the formation of a joint judicial committee, and the sharing of Iran’s judicial expertise with Afghanistan.

The influx of Afghan refugees since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 has intensified calls for deportations and sparked violent attacks on migrant communities. Approximately 8 million Afghans have fled their country, with many seeking refuge in neighboring Iran.

In May, Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced that around 1.3 million Afghan migrants had been deported in the past year. In September 2024, Iran’s police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan revealed plans to expel an additional 2 million undocumented Afghan refugees by March 2025.

The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights reported on November 2 that at least 49 Afghans had been executed in Iran during the first 10 months of 2024.

Iran’s eastern and southeastern regions serve as major transit routes for drugs originating in Afghanistan and destined for Europe. However, the Taliban denies reports of increased poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and has urged the international community to support its efforts to eradicate drugs.

Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, multiple clashes have occurred between Taliban forces and Iranian border guards. These confrontations have resulted in casualties among military personnel and civilians on both sides, with each country accusing the other of initiating the violence.

On October 13, several Afghan agencies reported that Iranian border guards had shot and killed dozens of Afghan migrants attempting to cross into Iran in Sistan-Baluchestan Province. While the exact number of casualties remains unclear, some survivors alleged that around 250 people were killed.

Sistan-Baluchestan Border Guard Commander Brig. Gen. Reza Shojai denied the allegations, dismissing as “false” the images circulating online purportedly showing injured individuals. The Iranian Foreign Ministry also rejected claims of the killings.

In response, the Taliban’s Prime Minister, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, formed a “high-level” government committee to investigate the alleged incident.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed “deep concerns” over the reported killings and called for “thorough and transparent investigations” into the matter.