Officials at Kabul’s Pul-e Charkhi prison say about 150 prisoners have been released based on a presidential decree.

The Pul-e-Charkhi Central Prison Press Office said in a statement that 150 prisoners released on Thursday following a presidential decree to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The released are individuals who have been sentenced to less than five years in prison after which they were released after a check and examination by the Central Prison Health Department.

According to the press release, the process of releasing the prisoners in accordance with the issued decree will continue.

However, after the spread of the coronavirus in the country, the presidency has ordered the release of about 10,000 prisoners from the country’s prisons.

Dozens of prisoners have already been released from prisons in different provinces.