Politics

Kurdistan releases 826 more detainees as part of anti-coronavirus efforts

The Kurdistan Region’s Supreme Judicial Council on Wednesday announced the release of more than 800 more detainees as part of continuing efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among inmate populations in the autonomous region.

Mustafa Shilani 2020/04/14 18:22

kurdistan Kurdistan KRG Coronavirus Prisoners Iraq

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s Supreme Judicial Council on Wednesday announced the release of more than 800 more detainees as part of continuing efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among inmate populations in the autonomous region.

“The conditional release of those detainees was decided by a court of law and was due to circumstances caused by the coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region, enacted to prevent the spread of the virus inside correctional facilities,” said Romeo Hakari, Head of the Human Rights Committee in the Kurdistan Region’s parliament.

Hakari added that, as part of the second wave of discharges, 159 detainees have been released in Erbil province, 348 in Sulaimani, and 319 in Duhok province.

“We, as the committee, welcome the decision as it serves in the best interest of the public,” he remarked.

Last week, A statement released by the regional Justice Ministry specified that 1,474 pretrial detainees had already been released.

At the time, a Kurdistan Bar Syndicate official Kakayi specified that the decision did not apply to all detainees. Those who have been charged with “murder, terrorism, and drug trafficking will not be included in this decision and will remain in detention centers,” he said.

Multiple governments around the world now scrambling to keep outbreaks of the virus from sweeping through their jails and prisons have ordered a variety of such release or furlough programs.

According to the latest update by the KRG Ministry of Health, there are 331 confirmed cases of the deadly virus in areas under its jurisdiction, including four deaths and 194 patients who have recovered.

As it continues to spread in over 180 countries worldwide, it has infected more than 1.97 million people and killed over 125,000, according to government-reported data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The actual figures could be dramatically higher due to insufficient testing capabilities or underreporting, particularly in countries that have weak health systems.

Editing by John J. Catherine