A view of Duhok city
Duhok prisoner serving life sentence escapes from hospital during treatment
DUHOK — A prisoner serving a life sentence for murder escaped Wednesday morning from Azadi Hospital in Duhok while receiving medical treatment, according to officials and hospital staff.
The inmate, held at Zirka Correctional Facility, had been brought to the hospital earlier in the day under police escort. Dr. Sagvan Suleiman, director of Azadi Hospital, confirmed the incident.
“Today, an inmate from the Correctional Facility who was unwell arrived at the hospital accompanied by several police officers to receive treatment,” Suleiman told 964media. “After a medical examination was conducted, he spoke briefly with the police officers, went to the restroom, and escaped through the window.”
A security source said the prisoner had been convicted of murdering a young woman and sentenced to life in prison. “He is Kurdish and a resident of the Sheikhan district,” the source said.
The inmate had reportedly been transferred to the hospital monthly for ongoing health issues. Security forces have launched a search, but he remains at large.
The incident follows a separate case last week in Sulaimaniyah, where an inmate failed to return from a temporary prison leave after visiting family in Qaladze. That prisoner had been convicted of drug trafficking.
In another case last October, a prisoner at the Sulaymaniyah correctional facility escaped by reportedly swapping clothes with his visiting brother during a family visit and leaving undetected.
