ANKARA
Afghanistan's President hit back at U.S. criticism of the release of 65 prisoners from a high security prison in Afghanistan on Thursday, at a joint-press conference with Turkey's President Abdullah Gul and Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
President Hamid Karzai said the release from Bagram prison of 65 out of 88 prisoners the U.S. deems to be high-risk, is "of no concern to the U.S. and should be of no concern to the U.S."
"The presence of Bagram prison is against Afghan laws and sovereignty. It has been one of the most contentious issues between Afghanistan and the U.S.," said Karzai.
"It became a disagreement between us in 2007. My government has been trying since then to remove this prison from the U.S. control and to turn it into an Afghan facility in accordance with Afghan laws and sovereignty."
The prisoners kept at Bagram prison – which is similar to U.S.-operated prisons Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Abu Ghraib, Iraq – had been turned over to Afghan authorities by the U.S. authorities a year ago.
Karzai insisted that there was not enough evidence against the detainees and expressed hope the U.S. would stop "harassing" Afghanistan's procedures and judicial authority.
He called on the U.S. to respect Afghan sovereignty.
When asked about the security agreement planned to be signed with the US, that will allow NATO troops to stay on after 2014, Karzai said: "My condition is that there must be the launch of peace process before the BSA (Bilateral Security Agreement) is signed."
"The BSA would be useful to us only when we are peaceful and stable," he added.
Karzai discussed NATOs withdrawal from Afghanistan and negotiations with the Taliban in tri-lateral talks with Gul and Sharif on Thursday.
Pakistan's Prime Minister expressed support for the peace process in Afghanistan.
"Pakistan has taken a number of steps and had discussions with Afghanistan on bilateral level," he said. "President Karzai and myself are on the same page as far as the issues are concerned."
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