Iraq releases +19,000 inmates under amended Amnesty Law

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council announced, on Tuesday, the release of more than 19,000 prisoners as part of the country’s amended General Amnesty Law.

The announcement followed a high-level meeting chaired by President of Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zaidan, who met with senior judicial figures to assess the implementation of Amendment No. 27 (2016) to the Law.

According to the Council, the review covered the period between January 21 and April 30, 2025, during which 19,381 individuals—including both detainees and convicted prisoners—were released from prisons and detention centers across Iraq.

The total number of people eligible under the law—including those sentenced in absentia, on bail, or facing arrest or summons warrants—has reached 93,597, the Council added.

Chief Justice Zaidan called for broader meetings among the judicial committees responsible for enforcing the amnesty, emphasizing the need to resolve legal discrepancies and ensure consistent application of the law across all provinces.