Sudani meets ICRC president to discuss repatriation of Islamic State detainees

BAGHDAD — Outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met Sunday with International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger to discuss cooperation on Islamic State detainees transferred from Syria, with Sudani calling on countries of origin to fulfill their commitments to repatriate their nationals.

Sudani expressed appreciation for the ICRC’s humanitarian efforts and said Baghdad wanted to cooperate with the organization in facilitating “the return of detainees transferred from Syria to their countries,” stressing “the importance of urging the concerned states to fulfill their commitments in this regard.”

Earlier this year Iraq received 5,704 Islamic State suspects from prisons in northeast Syria in coordination with coalition forces. As of April 2, the detainees were being held at Karkh Central Prison under layered security, with 1,000 questioned and no court rulings issued. They represent more than 60 nationalities.

Justice Minister Khaled Shwani said in March that Iraqi law applies to all Islamic State members regardless of nationality and that courts may issue death sentences. “If a state is keen that this terrorist not be tried under Iraqi rulings, we are ready to sign memoranda of understanding to return these elements to their original countries, and the United States supports us in this context,” he said.