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| Iraq |
| Opposition parliamentary blocs slam implementation of Amnesty Law |
| 2008-06-30 |
| Baghdad, Jun 29, (VOI) - Two opposition parliamentary blocs' representative commented on the implementation of the Amnesty Law, considering it "inadequate" and "below its expected level." "Members of the Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) faulted the amnesty law on a number of its legal items," MP Harith al-Ubaidi told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI). The lawmaker noted, "we contacted officials from the concerned government ministries, and discovered that they either tried to escape the issue or to lay the blame on others," adding "how can others be expected to abide by the law while legal offices are flouting it." In February 2008, the Iraqi Parliament enacted the General Amnesty Law that allows the exclusive release of Iraqi wanted persons and detainees from Iraqi prisons and U.S.-run detention centers, according to certain terms and conditions. The Iraqi Presidential Council ratified the Law on March 27, 2008, and it was implemented during the same month. "Iraqi laws do not allow the detention of a prisoner for more than 48 hours without appearing in front of an investigating judge," Ubaidi pointed out. The MP criticized some executive offices for delays in carrying out the law, causing "detainees to serve several years without their legal files being referred to investigating judges." He attributed the excesses to "influences played by political parties to delay the implementation of the law's items before they are amended by the Parliament." Ubaidi called on the Supreme Judicial Council "to provide the Parliament with names of detainees in order to follow up on their release procedures." On the other hand, Fawzi Tarzi, MP from the Sadrist Movement loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said the law "released detainees, yet it is still below the expected level." "Endorsing the law was a positive sign and may contribute in ending persecution for many Iraqi people who remain under custody," he said. Yet he highlighted, "our movement's detainees have not benefited from the law since most of them remain in U.S. detention centers," calling on the government to "force U.S. troops to carry out the amnesty law and to release thousands of detainees unjustly held in their prisons." However, the Kurdish bloc applauded the amnesty law for having ensured the release of a great number of innocent detainees. MP Muhsin al-Saadoon from the Kurdish List said "legal committees continue to work on the law and it is too early to announce a verdict on its failure." "If the law has shortcomings, we can amend them in the Parliament," adding "the law has produced important results." The lawmaker called upon the government to "issue similar laws that will contribute to meeting the desires of the Iraqi people, who underwent great suffering." For its side, Abdul Sattar Birqardar, spokesman for the Supreme Judicial Council, said "the number of persons who have benefited from the general amnesty has reached 100,238, throughout Iraq." Birqardar noted that there are an estimated 13,199 prisoners in Iraqi jails against whom no judicial sentences have been issued. According to the spokesman, 46,371 detainees were released on bail, while 33,273 wanted persons included in the law and have not been arrested thus far. |
| Posted by:Steve White |