Iraq seeks return of citizens held after being recruited to fight in Ukraine

BAGHDAD — National Security Adviser Qassem al-Araji said Wednesday that Iraq is pushing for the return of Iraqi nationals detained in Ukraine after being recruited to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, raising the issue in a call with Ukraine’s national security chief.

Al-Araji said he spoke with Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, and “emphasized the importance of addressing the issue of Iraqis who were lured into participating in the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the need to work on handing over Iraqi detainees in Ukraine to Iraq, in line with humanitarian values and international obligations.”

He also reaffirmed Iraq’s position rejecting the use of military force and its support for “constructive dialogue and serious negotiations as the best way to end conflicts and resolve crises.”

The issue has drawn growing attention in Iraq after high-profile cases exposed recruitment networks operating in the country. Iraqi artist Hussein al-Turki said he had been misled by promises of work in Moscow and found himself “on the front lines in Ukraine,” prompting public outcry and calls for government intervention. Ukraine’s ambassador to Iraq has said Iraqi citizens have been killed fighting alongside Russian forces, describing Russia as actively recruiting from poorer countries including Iraq.

Iraqi courts have moved against recruiters. A Najaf court sentenced a man to life in prison and fined him 15 million dinars — about $10,560 — after convicting him of recruiting Iraqis to fight in Russia as part of “an international criminal gang” that lured recruits with money, free housing and promises of marriage to Russian women. A separate court issued a life sentence under anti-human trafficking laws against another man convicted of organizing groups of Iraqis to fight abroad for financial compensation.

Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council has said the penal code punishes with imprisonment anyone who joins the armed forces of another state without government approval.