Iraq finishes initial probes of 5,704 ISIS suspects transferred from Syria

ROME — Iraq has completed initial investigations into 5,704 people transferred from detention facilities in northeastern Syria over alleged links to the Islamic State group, National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji said Thursday, calling for broader international cooperation as Baghdad prepares cases against suspects from 62 countries.

Speaking at a meeting of the international coalition against ISIS in Rome, Araji said Iraqi authorities had contacted diplomatic missions to verify the nationalities of detainees and complete case files before they are presented to the courts.

“Iraq agreed in February 2026, in coordination with the international coalition, to transfer a number of ISIS detainees from detention facilities in northeastern Syria,” Araji said, adding that “the initial investigations with them, numbering 5,704, have been completed by the Iraqi judiciary.”

Iraq would handle the foreign detainees’ cases under Iraqi law, bilateral agreements and understandings with their countries and the principle of reciprocity, he said, but could not carry the file alone.

“Addressing the detainees’ file cannot be the responsibility of one country, but requires broad international cooperation,” Araji said, calling on governments to take responsibility for their nationals and provide logistical support to ease prison overcrowding and ensure humane treatment in line with international human rights law.

Iraqi judicial authorities said in September that all 5,704 transferred suspects had been questioned and that 466 were being released for lack of evidence, including 457 Syrians, seven Iraqis, one Finnish national and one American. The remaining cases were being referred to trial courts according to the evidence against each defendant.

Six of the suspects were identified during the investigations as having played direct roles in the enslavement of Yazidi women, including through detention, transport, sale or supervision of the system, according to the Supreme Judicial Council.

Araji also said Iraq’s partnership with the coalition had helped return more than 20,000 Iraqi citizens from Syria’s al-Hol camp and reintegrate them into their communities.

Iraqi officials have said returnees pass through the Jadaa Community Rehabilitation Center in Nineveh, where they undergo security screening, psychological support and reintegration programs before going back to their home areas.

The Rome meeting follows the formal end of the U.S.-led coalition mission in Iraq on Sept. 30. Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve remains operational from Jordan, while Iraq and coalition countries move toward bilateral security arrangements.

“Today we move from the stage of victory over ISIS to the stage of consolidating Iraq’s ability to prevent its return and contribute effectively to the security and stability of the region,” Araji said.

He said Baghdad remained committed to working with coalition partners against ISIS through continued information-sharing, expertise and international cooperation, describing responsibility for the group’s remaining security and humanitarian consequences as collective.