KABUL (SW) – France and Australia have raised serious concerns over the release of six Taliban prisoners from prisons in Afghanistan.
The French Embassy in Kabul said in a statement that the Afghan authorities have released Zia Ahmad and Abdullah Gulam Astagir, who had been sentenced for the murder of Bettina Goislard, a French humanitarian worker on a mission in Afghanistan for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
‘France reiterates its strongest opposition to the release of individuals sentenced for committing crimes against French nationals, particularly soldiers and humanitarian workers who worked with dedication, alongside our Afghan partners, to provide security and assistance to people in need’, it said, adding the peace negotiations, which France is ready to support, must take into account the interests and rights of the victims of conflict and terrorism in Afghanistan. “These are the conditions necessary for that country’s long-term stabilization and the security of all”, the statement said.
This came a day ahead of the official inauguration of the intra-Afghan talks in the Qatari capita, Doha.
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