KABUL - As many as 28,623 people are currently held in 37 prisons on different charges across the country, an official of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said on Sunday.
Lt. Gen. Abdul AlimKohistani, head of MoI detention centers, told Pajhwok Afghan News the inmates had neither completed their jail terms nor their caseshad been tried yet. Of the 28,623 detainees, 20,872 are criminals and 7,751 others suspects.
He added 5,403 of the detainees were involved in drug-related crimes and 446 detained for misusing their authority and dereliction of duty.
Kohistani added there was no political prisoner in the country. He said 5,498 of the detainees posed a threat to security.Those with different vocational skills have been provided with work opportunities, but 80 percent of their income went to the government.
He did not provide information about the number of female prisoners.According to a report from the International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS), the number of inmates in Afghanistan has increased from 5,262 in 2004 to 26,519 in 2014. The report said 718 of the prisoners in 2014 were women and girls.(Pajhwok)