Iraq to repatriate about 6,000 foreign prisoners to 61 countries

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Justice has launched a diplomatic process to repatriate approximately 6,000 prisoners from 61 countries to their home nations, ministry spokesman Ahmed Laiybi told the official gazette. He said Arab and foreign inmates had crowded Iraq's prisons, creating a capacity problem that the ministry aims to address through bilateral transfers. Laiybi said the repatriations will exclude prisoners sentenced to death and will proceed under the principle of reciprocity or through bilateral agreements. The ministry said it has secured the necessary approval from the National Security Council and that the legal and diplomatic framework is in place. Syrian nationals top the list of prisoners slated for transfer, according to the ministry. Other nationalities include Morocco, the United States, Canada, Russia, Tunisia and Turkey. The ministry said it is engaging directly with the diplomatic missions of the relevant countries to establish agreements. Iraqi prisoners are being redistributed across different facilities, a process accelerated by the designation of Baghdad's Karkh Central Prison to hold the 6,000 Arab and foreign inmates. Officials said they aim to create a clear mechanism for transferring eligible prisoners and to strengthen judicial cooperation with the affected states.