Afghan media reports say the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, has ordered the release of 2,460 prisoners on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the Supreme Court of Afghanistan said on Wednesday, April 19.
Ariana News reported on April 19 that according to the decree, the prison term of 471 other prisoners has also been reduced.
The Supreme Court added that this order was made based on the guidance of Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Islamic Emirate, and by the ruling of the country’s chief justice.
It is believed that committees were established across the country to determine which prisoners could be freed.
Khaama Press reported on April 19 that 41 prisoners, including seven women, were also released on April 16 based on the same order and occasion from Ghor province.
According to the statement, the released prisoners committed crimes such as moral corruption, theft, bribery and drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, critics say that the release of the detainees and the exemption are a positive development.
Furthermore, certain university professors, writers, protesting women, civil society and human rights advocates are jailed, while drug smugglers and criminals are frequently released.
This year, Afghanistan celebrates Eid ul-Fitr, which is one of the major religious holidays that followers of Islam have been observing for centuries, on April 21.
Eid al-Fitr is often called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast.” The practice of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the holy month of Ramadan ("Sawm") is one of the five pillars of Islam. The first Eid al-Fitr was reportedly celebrated in 624 CE by the Prophet Muhammad and his companions after their victory in the battle of Jang-e-Badar, a turning point in Muhammad's struggle with his opponents among the Quraish in Mecca during in the early days of Islam.
