Dobrindt’s Envoy Engages with Taliban Representatives: Key Details Revealed

A high-ranking official from Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior was in Kabul last Wednesday to discuss, among other things, the repatriation of criminals from Germany to Afghanistan, according to ARD sources.

The talks, held in a reportedly cordial atmosphere, were described as positive by Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of the Interior. He told ARD’s New Delhi studio that the main topic of discussion was the repatriation of Afghan nationals who have committed crimes in Germany.

Logistical aspects such as transportation were also discussed. Previously, deported criminals were flown to Kabul on charter flights, which are costly and complex. The possibility of using commercial flights with stopovers was discussed as a more feasible alternative. Currently, there are no direct flights between Germany and Afghanistan, but connections are available via cities like Istanbul or Dubai.

Discussions Under the Sharia Law

The meeting last Wednesday included Mohammad Nabi Omari, a high-ranking Taliban official with a notable biography. Omari, the First Deputy to Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Interior Minister, has held this position since late 2022. From 2002 to 2014, he spent twelve years in the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay before being released in a prisoner exchange for a held U.S. soldier. The German delegation was represented by a department head responsible for the Federal Police.

The repatriation of Afghan criminals is a significant issue for the Taliban, Qani had stated before the meeting. “Afghan nationals who commit crimes abroad are personally responsible but also represent Afghanistan as a nation,” Qani explained. “This damages our national reputation. When they are deported, we receive notification from the deporting country. They are then handed over to the Afghan Ministry of the Interior, and we handle them according to the rules of Sharia law. They are biometrically registered and monitored. We take this matter very seriously.”

Maintaining the Dignity of Deportees

Handling according to Sharia law might suggest a further punishment awaits deportees in Afghanistan. However, a high-ranking official from the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized in late September that those deported from Germany are considered innocent in Afghanistan. “A conviction in your judicial system holds no value here. Our government’s primary concern is to preserve the dignity of the deported Afghans,” he clarified.

Future Collaboration Discussed

Both sides remained tight-lipped about the specific outcomes of last Wednesday’s meeting. The Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed to ARD that “technical discussions” had taken place but withheld further details.

Interestingly, the Taliban noted that the meeting’s agenda extended beyond deportations. Discussions also covered the drug problem and “alternatives for livelihood,” possibly concerning Afghan farmers who have been prohibited by the Taliban from growing opium and now face livelihood uncertainties.

While it remains unclear what role Germany could or should play regarding this issue, the Taliban emphasized that the meeting with Alexander Dobrindt’s representative concluded with an agreement on further collaboration and coordination between the two countries’ interior ministries.