Iraq recorded 167 human trafficking cases in July, judiciary says

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Higher Judicial Council released monthly court statistics for July 2026, reporting 167 human trafficking cases filed nationwide during the month. The figures, compiled from appeals court secretariats, show that 73 of those cases were opened under the Basra appeals court presidency, followed by Baghdad Karkh with 21 and Baghdad Rusafa with 19. No human trafficking cases were recorded that month in the appeals court jurisdictions of Mosul, Najaf, Dhi Qar, Muthanna and Karbala, according to the data. Separately, the council said 384 cases were filed in July over violations of the foreign residency law. Of those, 233 were handled by the Baghdad Rusafa appeals court presidency, 88 by Baghdad Karkh and 28 by Wasit, while Basra, Mosul, Babylon, Dhi Qar, Anbar, Maysan, Muthanna and Karbala reported none during the same period. The monthly tally also recorded 16 suicide cases nationwide, with five reported in Mosul and three in Kirkuk. Baghdad Rusafa, Diyala and Qadisiyyah each logged two cases, while Karkh and Wasit recorded one apiece.