Iraq frees 33,500+ under General Amnesty Law
Shafaq News – Baghdad
33,536 individuals were released from prisons and detention centers under the amended General Amnesty Law No. 27 of 2016, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council revealed on Tuesday.
According to a statement, an additional 136,817 people, facing arrest warrants, summonses, or convictions in absentia, were included in the pardon list.
About 37.14B dinars (≈ $26.03M) and $34.34M in fines and related financial penalties tied to the pardons were recovered, the judiciary confirmed.
Official figures showed that between January 21 and April 30 alone, 19,381 people were released, out of 93,597 deemed eligible for amnesty across several categories.
The revised law was passed in January 2025 along with Personal Status and Restitution laws, but was initially frozen by the Federal Court. The Supreme Judicial Council later reactivated it in February and March, ordering courts nationwide to implement it immediately.
Sunni political blocs welcomed the move as a step toward “national reconciliation,” while Shiite factions raised concerns over potential loopholes for individuals linked to “terrorism.”
Security officials previously told Shafaq News that the amendment excludes anyone convicted of terrorism, violent crimes, drug trafficking, or serious offenses involving foreign nationals.
