Kurdistan Region prisons hold nearly 2,000 drug convicts, 539 on death row

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — Kurdistan Region Reform Director Ihsan Abdurrahman said six prisons in the region are holding a total of 6,200 inmates, including 1,985 convicted on drug-related charges and 539 sentenced to death. Speaking at a press conference, Abdurrahman said 4,094 new inmates were admitted during the first six months of the year, while 3,535 were released during the same period. He added that rehabilitation and education programs continue inside the facilities, with 534 inmates enrolled at various educational levels and 411 assigned to work in kitchens and gardens. According to Abdurrahman, the prisons have hosted 73 religious conferences organized in cooperation with the Kurdistan Islamic Scholars Union, and 394 social researchers have participated in court proceedings to monitor the cases of detainees and inmates. Strict security measures are in place to prevent drugs from entering the facilities, with thorough screening of visitors, and no drug-related incidents have been recorded inside the prisons, he said.