Moroccan Prisoners' Families Urge Baghdad, Rabat to Implement Repatriation Deal

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Families of Moroccan prisoners held in Iraqi jails are pressing the Moroccan and Iraqi governments to implement a transfer agreement signed in August, saying delays are worsening years of separation. Abdelaziz Bekkali, general coordinator of the Moroccan Prisoners' Families Coordination Committee, said the deal covers nine prisoners, including women and children. He named two female detainees held at Rusafa Prison in Baghdad — Leila al-Qasimi and Ibtisam al-Hawzi — whose health conditions are deteriorating. The coordination committee called on both governments to act urgently. Bekkali also said five Moroccan women recently returned to Morocco from Syria following administrative and legal coordination with the Moroccan embassy in Damascus. The August 2025 agreement was signed in Rabat by Iraqi Justice Minister Khaled Shwani and his Moroccan counterpart Abdellatif Ouahib, aiming to resolve a long-standing legal dispute between the two countries. Iraqi authorities have detained dozens of Moroccan nationals on terrorism-related charges, including women and children.