Shafaq News – Baghdad

More inmates and defendants benefited from the amended General Amnesty Law in October, Supreme Judicial Council revealed on Thursday, marking a continued rise since its implementation earlier this year.

According to the Council’s latest data, 37,253 inmates were released from prisons and detention centers, while 150,471 individuals — including those facing arrest or summons warrants, on bail, or convicted in absentia — were also covered by the law. The total recovered funds reached 40.9 billion Iraqi dinars (about $28.9M) and $34.3 million, the statement said.

The figures show a steady increase compared to September, when 35,203 inmates were released and 143,924 others were covered under similar legal procedures, with recovered amounts totaling 38.5 billion dinars and $34.3 million.

Read more: Beyond "Innocent People": unpacking Iraq's New Amnesty Law

Originally enacted in 2016 and amended in early 2025, the General Amnesty Law No. 27 was designed to reduce overcrowding in Iraq’s prisons and ease pressure on the judicial system. The law excludes individuals convicted of terrorism-related killings, violent crimes, and large-scale drug trafficking. However, it grants relief to those involved in minor offenses, financial cases, or procedural violations.