The supreme court said in a statement that based on the decree of the Islamic Emirate’s leader, for the arrival of Eid al-Adha, 2,178 inmates have been released.

According to the statement, at least 489 other inmates were given reduced sentences.

TOLOnews interviewed a number of the inmates who were eleased as a gesture for Eid.

“My message to those who committed a mistake is to not commit it again. The Islamic Emirate and Islamic government exist now,” said Zubair, a former inmate in Paktia.

“I was imprisoned because of committing a crime. I was sentenced to prison by the judicial system, I spent 9 months now I am released based on the decree of the Islamic Emirate’s leader and I am happy,” said Sediqullah, a former inmate in Uruzgan.

Mohammad Qassim Riaz, deputy head of Helmand's department of Information and Culture, said that 118 inmates were freed on Monday from the provincial prisons.

“Yesterday (Monday), from the central jail of Helmand and district prisons, 118 inmates were released based on the decree of the Islamic Emirate,” he said.

Meanwhile, an official at the Kandahar provincial court, Fazullah Asim, said that some of these inmates who were released were punished by whipping in addition to serving their prison term.

“In this batch, there are people who were punished with between 30 , 35 to 39 whiplashes in addition to being sentenced to prison,” he said.