Afghan prisoner swap likely to free Hekmatullah, rogue soldier who murdered three Australians

Officials from the Department of Defence contacted the families of the three Australians on Friday, advising them it was likely Hekmatullah would be one of 5,000 prisoners released as part of peace negotiations between the Afghan Government and the Taliban.

Hekmatullah is one of 400 prisoners considered to be "extreme cases" that were still being considered by Afghanistan's Tribal Council, the loya jirga, for release.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds have for several months raised the Australian Government's desire for Hekmatullah to remain behind bars, since it became clear he could be part of the prisoner swap deal.