The Independent Commission For Overseeing the Implementation of the Constitution (ICOIC) shared the findings of a three-month investigation onTuesday, expressing concerns with the state of the Afghan prison system.
The findings of the ICOIC indicate many prisons around the country deny inmates access to health services, education opportunities and defense lawyers. The ICOIC has reviewed at least 21 detention centers in the country.
According to iCOIC head Gul Rahman Qazikhail, up to 8,000 complaints have been received by the office from detainees around the country trying to bring attentions to mistreatment and subpar living conditions. He said the ICOIC would be investigating each claim.
Reportedly, some of the issues included prisons that refused to oblige decrees from President Hamid Karzai ordering the release of certain prisoners.
"In some cases, the prisoners weren't able to be benefit from a Presidential decree on inmates' releases," deputy head of the ICOIC Abdul Qadir Adalat Khaw said.
Prison officials assured that they would be taking action to remediate issues raised by the ICOIC.
"We are trying to resolve these issues faced by the prisoners, and prisons should be renovated," deputy head of prisons Mohammad Qais Fasehi said.
According to the ICOIC, there are some 20,000 prisoners in Afghanistan, and most lack healthcare.