Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan chairs a meeting in Baghdad with senior judicial officials to review the implementation of Iraq’s amended general amnesty law and address legal issues related to its application.
Iraq judiciary says more than 19,000 released under amended general amnesty law
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said Tuesday that more than 19,000 detainees and prisoners have been released across the country under the amended general amnesty law, with tens of thousands more cases falling under its provisions.
Iraq’s General Amnesty Law, originally enacted in 2016 and amended in 2025, aims to address grievances related to wrongful convictions and arbitrary detentions. The law provides amnesty for certain offenses, excluding individuals involved in terrorism, violent acts, and drug offenses. The 2025 amendment redefined the concept of affiliation with terrorist organizations, allowing for retrials in cases where convictions were based on confessions obtained under duress or from secret informants. While Sunni political blocs have advocated for the law, citing disproportionate targeting of their communities, Shia parties argue that it could lead to the release of individuals involved in serious crimes if not implemented properly.
The council said in a statement, “The number of those released under the law from detention centers and prisons, including both detainees and convicted individuals in all governorates, reached 19,381.” It added that the total number of people covered under the law—including those convicted in absentia, defendants released on bail, and individuals with arrest or summons warrants—reached 93,597.
The figures were presented during a meeting chaired by Supreme Judicial Council President Judge Faiq Zidan, attended by deputy presidents of the Federal Court of Cassation, the head of the Public Prosecution, and the president of the Judicial Supervision Commission. The council reviewed a report detailing the law’s implementation from January 21 to April 30, 2025, and directed relevant committees to hold expanded meetings to address legal issues arising during its enforcement.
On May 5, Justice Minister Khaled Shwani told The Associated Press that Iraq’s prison system, designed to hold about 32,500 inmates, is currently housing around 65,000—double its intended capacity.