KABUL, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A total of 17 Afghan inmates imprisoned in African countries have been set free and returned to their homeland, Afghanistan, the ministry of foreign affairs reported late Saturday.
The Embassy of Afghanistan in Cairo has successfully facilitated the release of 17 Afghan citizens from jails in multiple African countries, including Egypt, Morocco, Libya, Sudan, and Mauritania, Hafiz Zia Ahmad, deputy spokesman for the ministry, posted on his social media account.
Various reasons led to the incarceration of Afghan nationals in the said countries, Ahmad declared.
Earlier in September last year, Mohammad Yusuf Mustari, acting head of prison administration, indicated that between 8,000 and 9,000 Afghan citizens are currently incarcerated outside the country.
