Five members of a kidnapping group who were arrested in Herat province and incarcerated at Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul were hanged to death early Wednesday morning.

The General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Centers of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) confirmed this in a statement Wednesday.

President Ashraf Ghani last week issued the death sentence of the convicted prisoners who had been involved in kidnapping and murder. The decree was signed in the presence of judicial representatives, the statement read.

According to the MoI, one of the prisoners had been a member of Herat provincial council. He was also hanged Wednesday.

The statement said the group had been involved in the kidnapping and murder of Mohammad Shah Aimaq, son of Haji Abdul Baqi, who is the deputy head of a construction company. The group had also been involved in other illegal activities.

Mohammad Shah Aimaq was kidnapped two years ago and then he was murdered.

Police at that time arrested 14 people in connection with the case. One of them was released but 13 were found guilty. Of them, five were hanged to death. 

No further details were provided.

This comes after Ghani issued a decree for the hanging of six prisoners convicted of terrorism offenses in May last year.

Meanwhile, families of those who were hanged to death said they were informed about their relatives shortly after the decree was made public by media.

"The detention center officials should visit family members and close relatives of those who will be sentenced to death. But unfortunately the Pul-e-Charkhi prison officials and the relevant attorney office did not conduct their legal activity," said Mohammad Sadiq Roohi, defense attorney for one of the prisoners.