KABUL -  The Ministry of Interior (MoI) said on Monday it was ready to take full control of the Bagram Prison in central Parwan province from the Americans and provide inmates there with non-discriminatory facilities.

A Ministry of Interior official said this at a press conference in Kabul a day after President Hamid Karzai praised the performance of the Afghan Review Board tasked with investigating cases of prisoners held at the notorious detention center.

Karzai said the jail’s responsibility would be soon handed over to the MoI, saying the review board had discharged its responsibility with honesty, thanking it for defending Afghans’ rights.

The MoI has welcomed the proposed transfer of the entire Bagram Prison to its control, saying it was ready to handle the jail’s affairs in line with the country’s laws.

MoI spokesman Siddiqui Siddique told reporters all jails in Afghanistan had been transferred to the ministry’s control until 2012 and the Bagram prison was part of the process.

He said Bagram inmates would have the same facilities enjoyed by inmates in other prisons. “The MoI is completely ready to accept responsibility of Bagram prison,” he said, adding the Review Board would work jointly with the MoI on inmate cases.

The Bargram prison was created in 2001 when American troops were deployed to the Bagram district of Parwan, north of Kabul, and was handed over to Afghan forces in September 2012.

Human rights groups and government investigators have repeatedly alleged torture, misbehave and abuses at the Bagram prison when controlled by American forces.

In Dec 30, 2013, the Review Board ordered the release of 650 inmates from Bagram, saying they were innocent. But 16 of them, having criminal records, were referred to the Attorney General Office (AGO) for further investigation.

The releases drew strong condemnation from American officials and forces, calling the move as irresponsible and extra-judicial.

The Americans have said some of the inmates released were dangerous and directly involved in attacks on coalition and Afghan forces. (Pajhwok)