Iraq Opens Talks With 61 Countries to Repatriate Nearly 6,000 Foreign Inmates

Iraq's Ministry of Justice said on Sunday it had begun legal and diplomatic procedures to transfer about 6,000 foreign detainees and convicts to their home countries, coordinating with diplomatic missions from 61 states on transfer agreements and memorandums of understanding, excluding prisoners serving death sentences. Syrians form the largest group, followed by Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish nationals, with American, Canadian and Russian citizens also on the list. Most are linked to Islamic State and were moved into Iraqi custody from northeastern Syria earlier this year. Karkh Central Prison in Baghdad was designated as the assembly point, and the ministry cited prison overcrowding as the main driver.