Tue May 13 18:44:45 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**Iraq Releases Over 19,000 Prisoners Under Amnesty Law Amid Overcrowding Crisis**

**Baghdad, Iraq** – In a move aimed at alleviating severe overcrowding in its prison system, the Iraqi government has released over 19,000 prisoners since January under a sweeping amnesty law. The law, enacted earlier this year, offers legal reprieve, including retrials and dismissed cases, to certain individuals convicted of belonging to armed groups, including some former members of ISIL (ISIS).

Judicial authorities confirmed the release of 19,381 prisoners between January and April following a meeting in Baghdad chaired by Supreme Judicial Council President Faeq Zeidan. The total number of individuals benefiting from the law – including those sentenced in absentia, granted bail, or having arrest warrants lifted – has reached 93,597.

The amnesty law was backed by Sunni lawmakers, who have argued that anti-terrorism laws disproportionately targeted Sunni communities. Detainees will now be permitted to request retrials if they claim their confessions were obtained through torture or coercion.

The releases are a response to critical overcrowding in Iraq’s 31 prisons, which currently hold approximately 65,000 inmates, nearly double their intended capacity, according to Justice Minister Khalid Shwani. Shwani stated the goal is to reduce the overcrowding to 100% of capacity by next year.

The amnesty law excludes those found guilty of killings linked to “extremism”. Those released include individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes like corruption, theft, and drug use.

The move comes amid international criticism of Iraq’s use of the death penalty, with human rights groups condemning mass executions and opaque legal processes. Amnesty International recently expressed concern after at least 13 men were executed in Nasiriya Central Prison following convictions on “overly broad and vague terrorism charges”. The amnesty law has temporarily halted all executions.

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