Iraq's prison population: +67,000 inmates with 20,000 terrorism convictions
Shafaq News/ Haydar Al-Mulla, a leader in "al-Azm"alliance, disclosed on Sunday that Iraq’s prison population stands at 67,000, following a review with the Ministry of Justice.
Al-Mulla revealed on X that the total prison population is divided into two main categories: 20,000 prisoners convicted of terrorism-related offenses and 47,000 convicted of various criminal charges including murder, theft, forgery, and drug trafficking.
Al-Mulla emphasized that "not all individuals convicted of terrorism are necessarily guilty," noting that "some may be wrongly accused." He stressed that the statistics reflect the severity of the issue and called for addressing it with objectivity, free from political exploitation.
Since the formation of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s government, the fate of the General Amnesty Law remains uncertain. Although there is political consensus on its enactment, observers point to political will, particularly from the Coordination Framework, as a potential factor in delaying the law and not fulfilling previous commitments made to Sunni factions to ensure their participation in the new government.
The General Amnesty Law is a key condition set by the Sunni blocs during negotiations for forming the State Administration Coalition (SAC). This coalition, which includes the Shia "Coordination Framework" as well as Kurdish and Sunni blocs, led to the formation of the current government headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. However, the law is expected to encounter opposition from factions within the Framework, particularly if it permits the release of individuals convicted of terrorism and murder.
Officials have clarified that amendments to the General Amnesty Law will exclude terrorists and individuals involved in specific crimes such as human trafficking, drug offenses, threats to national and public security, embezzlement, and misappropriation of public funds.
