Articles for Iraq

Iraq: New reports of torture of Shawki Omar, arbitrarily detained since 2004

After his arrival in Iraq for work, Mr Shawki Ahmed Omar, now 52, Jordanian national with US citizenship, was arrested in October 2004 with his then pregnant wife. He was not only beaten, but also repeatedly tortured by electric shocks and simulations of drowning. To protest against his ongoing arbitrary detention in Karakh Prison and the torture he was recently subjected to, he began a hunger strike on 4 February 2013. Yesterday, 12 February 2013, his family members organized sit-ins in front of the Iraqi Embassies in London and Amman in his support.

13 Feb 2013

Iraq: Arab Merchant detained in Al Soussa Prison since 2006

Following the US invasion of Iraq, many Arabs of non-Iraqi origin were arbitrarily arrested, detained and tortured between 2003 and 2009 by the US and Iraqi authorities on suspicions of belonging to the 'armed resistance' against the 'US Occupation Forces'. Sentenced to excessive prison terms or the death penalty in expedient trials, this group of non-Iraqi detainees became known as the 'Arab Prisoners'.

06 Feb 2013

Iraq: Government seriously threatens the independence of judges and lawyers

The Iraqi government must stop meddling in the administration of justice and threatening judges and lawyers.

07 Nov 2012

Iraq: Detention of envoy facilitating the repatriation of Libyan prisoners

Opening a new chapter of the issue of Arab prisoners in Iraq , the Iraqi authorities proceeded on 18 October 2012 to arrest the Libyan envoy mandated to negotiate the repatriation of the Libyan detainees in Iraq. After facilitating the release of a number of Libyans in recent months, Mr Ahmed Saleh Al Shami will now depend on similar assistance to regain his liberty.

07 Nov 2012

Iraq: Execution of a Tunisian detainee in Al Rusafa Prison

Iraqi authorities should investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Tunisian detainee Abdullah Al Matoui, assassinated in Al Rusafa Prison, Baghdad.

On 2 August 2012, Abdullah Habib Abdullah Al Matoui, a Tunisian citizen detained in Iraqi prison since 2005 was attacked and killed inside Al Rusafa prison in Baghdad.

17 Sep 2012

Iraq: Imminent danger of the execution of an Egyptian condemned to death

On 7 November 2011, Alkarama learned that Suleiman Abderraouf, a 45-year-old Egyptian national detained in Al-Khadimiya prison in Baghdad and recently condemned to death with the approval of the Iraqi president, risks being executed at any moment.

07 Nov 2011

On 20 October, the Iraqi president's office announced that it had approved the death sentences of 53 people, of which five are nationals of Arab countries, without setting the date of their executions. Eight of them, including Badr Mohamed Ali, a 29-year-old Moroccan national sentenced to death in 2008, were executed on 27 October 2011.

28 Oct 2011

Iraq: Ismail Ibrahim AL-MAIQAL, detained since 2003

Mr. Ismail Ibrahim AL-MAIQAL is a 29-year-old Saudi national. Although he regularly entered Iraqi territory, in October 2003 Mr. AL-MAIQAL was the object of an identity checkpoint in Baghdad by American soldiers. He was arrested and brought to an unknown location without having been told the reasons for his arrest.

He remained detained for many days in his first place of detention where he was among many other detainees. He saw one Syrian national executed in front of him. He was tortured and beaten very violently in the head with rifle butts.

14 Jul 2011

Iraq: Ibrahim Abdallah MOHAMED, condemned to a heavy sentence

Mr. Ibrahim Abdallah MOHAMED, a 25-year-old Yemeni national, was arrested on 24 January 2005 at an American and Iraqi identity checkpoint although he entered the territory legally from Jordan. He was brought to an unknown location and was subjected to ill treatment and was deliberately deprived of food for almost a week.

He was then brought to Baghdad to another place of detention before being brought to Baghdad airport.

06 Jul 2011

Iraq: Abdallah Hamoud AL-TWIJRI, savagely tortured

Mr. Abdallah Hamoud AL-TWIJRI, a 29-year-old Saudi national, was arrested in October 2004 by American soldiers at the Syrian border at Al-Qa'im and immediately brought to a military barracks where he was detained for 15 days. He reports having been tied up for several days upside down with his feet and hands bound and being thrown on the ground to be exposed to the sun all day before being placed back in his cell.

06 Jul 2011