Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

A Dhi Qar criminal court ordered the release of a man convicted of terrorism and sentenced to death by hanging, citing insufficient evidence following a retrial, a security source said Sunday.

Iraq's total prison population, convicted inmates and detainees combined, is estimated at between 59,000 and 63,000, with the Justice Ministry putting the number of convicted prisoners alone at around 50,000.

Earlier this year, the ministry announced the release of nearly 16,000 inmates in 2025: 10,931 under the General Amnesty Law and 4,983 through other judicial decisions, with each release subject to verification and inter-agency coordination.

Read more: Iraqi prisons overcrowded, plagued by diseases, drugs, and torture, report finds