The main Kabul prison once hosted thousands of captured and arrested Taliban. However, the tables have now turned as a Taliban commander strolled through the empty halls of Kabul’s main prison.
Taliban take over Kabul prison
Once prisoners, the Taliban now run Kabul’s Pul-e-Charki Prison in the eastern outskirts of the Afghan capital. After capturing the capital, the Taliban freed all the prison inmates as the government’s guards and police officers fled the scene. As of now, dozens of Taliban fighters are running the prison complex. The commander, who wishes to remain anonymous, had a person connected to the prison. He visited the complex with a group of friends and shared the titbit with the Associated Press. He was brought to Pul-e-Charki, blindfolded and bound after his arrest in the country’s eastern Kunar province.
“I feel so terrible when I remember those days. Those days are the darkest days of my life, and now this the happiest moment for me that I am free and come here without fear,” recollected the commander. He added that the prisoners suffered severe torture and abuse. He was in the prison for about 14 months before his release.
Several Taliban fighters now guarding the prison were formerly behind the bars. Since the previous guards will not dare return to their positions, the Taliban has taken overcharge. The facility mainly remains empty save for about 60 people who were imprisoned in the last few weeks. However, the guards claim the prisoners are mostly drug addicts and accused criminals.
Two sides of the same coin
For several Afghans and governments around the world, the Taliban’s takeover is a massive shock and note of dread. They fear for the people under harsh and brutal Taliban rune, similar to the first time the group was in power. However, for the fighters of the group, this is a moment of victory after a long war. For several fighters, it is the first time they’ve entered the city in decades. Several Taliban fighters accompanying the reporters from AP entered the abandoned cells on the prison with curiosity. The prison cells-now empty and littered with things left behind by the previous inmates of the Kabul prison. One Taliban fighter was seen exchanging sandals for a better pair.
The Kabul prison has a long and disturbing history of mass execution, violence, and torture. Several graves and torture cells have been uncovered dating back to the Soviet-backed Afghan government in the late 1970s. (cashcofinancial) The 11 cell block prison built for 5,000 prisoners held over 10,000 prisoners under the west-backed leadership.
