ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) announced on Monday that a court has initiated “investigative procedures” regarding nearly 1,400 Islamic State (ISIS) suspects recently transferred from neighboring Syria.
“The First Karkh Investigative Court announced that it has begun investigative procedures with 1,387 members of the ISIS terrorist organization who were recently received from detainees held in Syrian territory,” said the SJC in a statement.
“Under the direct supervision of the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, investigations have commenced through a number of judges specialized in counterterrorism. The procedures for dealing with the detainees will be carried out within the approved legal and humanitarian frameworks, in line with national laws and international standards,” it added.
As per the agreement between Iraq and the US, at least 7,000 ISIS prisoners will be transferred from Kurdish-held prisons in northeast Syria (Rojava) after Washington ended the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) role in the global coalition to defeat ISIS and shifted its support to the interim government in Damascus.
Last week, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Baghdad is prepared to receive ISIS prisoners previously held in facilities controlled by the SDF. He emphasized, however, that the financial and security responsibilities of the process should not fall solely on Iraq.
ISIS declared its so-called caliphate across Iraq and Syria in 2014, seizing large swathes of territory in both countries. It was defeated territorially in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019.
“These measures come as part of Iraq’s efforts to complete investigations and hold accountable those involved in crimes committed by the ISIS terrorist organization in accordance with applicable laws, alongside international coordination aimed at addressing the file of ISIS members and crimes that rise to the level of genocide and crimes against humanity,” said the SJC on Monday.
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