Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council Chief Visits Damascus
The head of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council Judge Faiq Zidan's first visit to Damascus focuses on ISIS detainees transferred to Iraq and expanding judicial cooperation between the two countries.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Judge Faiq Zidan, head of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, arrived in Damascus on Thursday for talks focused on ISIS detainees and growing judicial cooperation between Iraq and Syria.
Zidan was received by Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar Abdulrahman al-Wais after arriving in the Syrian capital on Aug. 13, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
ISIS detainees at center of talks
The main issue on Zidan's agenda is expected to be the status of ISIS members transferred to Iraqi prisons, as Baghdad and Damascus expand coordination on security and judicial matters.
The visit comes after a significant number of ISIS suspects were moved from prisons operated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Hasakah province to detention facilities in Iraq in recent months, in coordination with the Iraqi government.
The transfers have made the management, prosecution and legal status of ISIS detainees an increasingly important issue for both countries.
First visit of its kind
According to INA, Zidan's visit is the first of its kind and is intended to strengthen legal and judicial cooperation between Baghdad and Damascus.
The two neighboring countries have increasingly coordinated on security issues as they confront the continuing threat posed by ISIS remnants and seek to manage detainees linked to the extremist organization.
The discussions are also expected to provide an opportunity to address procedures surrounding detainee transfers and judicial cooperation.
The visit highlights Baghdad's growing engagement with the Syrian government on matters that extend beyond border security, with judicial coordination emerging as another component of the relationship.
For Iraq, the handling of ISIS detainees remains particularly sensitive because of the scale of the transfers and the need to determine legal responsibility for individuals accused of involvement in crimes committed during the group's territorial rule.
Zidan's meetings in Damascus are expected to provide further details on how Iraq and Syria intend to coordinate on the detainee file and broader judicial matters.