Sixteen Afghans and one Iranian released from years in captivity at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, arrived in Afghanistan on Thursday, an Afghan official said. The 16 Afghans appeared at a news conference alongside Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, head of Afghanistan's reconciliation commission, which assists with the release of detainees from Guantanamo and the U.S. prison at the Bagram military base north of Kabul. Mejadedi said many of the detainees had served up to four years in Guantanamo. He said «most» of the Afghan prisoners were innocent and had been turned in to the U.S. military by other Afghans because of personal disputes. The released Iranian prisoner, who also arrived in Afghanistan on Thursday, was handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross, he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
