Families crowd Mosul appeals court seeking amnesty for imprisoned relatives

NINEVEH — Large crowds of families gathered outside the Court of Appeals in western Mosul this week, hoping to have their imprisoned relatives included under Iraq’s general amnesty law. The surge in applicants prompted the court to open three service booths instead of one, as lines grew throughout the day.

Lawyers on site said many families were mixing up general amnesty applications with requests for retrial, potentially jeopardizing their chances. The law, enacted in 2016, offers pardons for certain offenses but excludes serious crimes such as terrorism. An new bill, passed by parliament on Jan. 21, 2025, sought to redefine what constitutes affiliation with terrorist organizations, but the Federal Supreme Court provisionally suspended it on Feb. 4, 2025, pending a constitutional review.

“Families must differentiate between amnesty applications and retrial requests submitted to the courts,” said lawyer Shahad Al-Khafaji, speaking to 964media. “The applications are being submitted incorrectly and imprecisely, so they will either be rejected or ignored.”

She explained that cases involving juveniles, misdemeanors, and lesser offenses qualify for consideration under the amnesty law, adding that individuals aged 15 and above require properly filed petitions consistent with court rulings.

Another attorney, Saad Al-Haroush, noted that relatives are permitted to handle the paperwork themselves. “The court has instructed that applications can be submitted by a prisoner’s family member, including a parent, sibling, spouse, or child,” he said. He also pointed out that families often assume intentional delays: “People assume the procedures are being deliberately delayed, but in reality, the sheer volume of applications is overwhelming. The court has allocated three windows for processing payments.”

According to Al-Haroush, once an application is lodged, it’s attached to the inmate’s file and sent to a judge for review by one of four committees, each handling juvenile cases, misdemeanors, felonies, or criminal offenses. “If the request meets the conditions outlined in Law No. 27 of 2016, the amnesty will be granted immediately,” he said.

Despite this pathway, many are voicing frustration. “We arrived at 3 a.m. from all over Nineveh’s districts and towns,” said Ammar Ali, whose son is serving a life sentence based on a secret informant’s testimony. “There is no organization here. We couldn’t even enter the court because of the crowds. We need clearer procedures and better organization.”

Uncertainty is greatest for those with relatives jailed on terrorism charges. “We are from Al-Ba’aj. My father was sentenced to death on terrorism charges and has been imprisoned in Nasiriyah since 2018. We visit him every four months,” said Sultan Khalid. “Even local residents and security forces vouch for his innocence, yet he hasn’t been released. Lawyers say terrorism-related cases are not included, but most prisoners were falsely accused of terrorism,” Khalid added.