The United Kingdom has resumed the transfer of Afghan prisoners currently being held by British troops in a camp in Afghanistanâ„¢s southern Helmand province to the Afghan authorities.
The detainees were on a plane from Camp Bastion on Thursday evening to a detention facility under control of the Afghan justice system in the Parwan province.
The British Defense Ministry confirmed on Friday that ten detainees were handed over and the ministry assured that it plans to transfer the remaining 82 from Camp Bastion “as soon as possible.”
However, seven Afghan inmates are due to remain in a British detention centre until a judicial review in July, which will examine whether the British government is entitled to hold the prisoners.
Two of the detainees dropped their legal challenge on Thursday, and are expected to be transferred to an Afghan detention facility soon.
Å“The UK Government is pleased that a UK court has approved the transfer into Afghan custody of those UK captured detainees who have given their consent,” the British Embassy in Kabul said in a statement.
It added, “The UK government recognizes Afghanistan as a sovereign country and it has always been the UK’s intention to transfer UK captured detainees as quickly as is legally possible to the Afghan authorities.
“We are confident that it is safe to transfer detainees to the Afghan national detention facility in Parwan where detainees will not face a real risk of torture or serious mistreatment.”
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has condemned Afghans’ detention at UK facilities, saying the imprisonment of suspected militants without charge violates Afghan sovereignty and law.
Afghan government spokesman Aimal Faizi has also said that the unlawful detention and internment of Afghan nationals was against international law. The deadline set by Karzai expired on June 8. The Defence Ministry in Kabul has also slammed the detentions as illegal and inhuman.
However, UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has claimed the detainees were involved in the killing of British forces.
In November 2012, Hammond suspended transfer of detainees to Afghan judicial authorities over assertions that they will be mistreated while in Afghan custody.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 as part of Washingtonâ„¢s so-called war on terror.
The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity continues to rise across the country, despite the presence of thousands of US-led troops.
MP/SL
Republished with permission from:: Press TV