More than 16,000 prisoners have been released from Iraq's prisons since the early spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the High Judicial Council said Thursday (April 16th).

In another measure to curb the deadly virus, the Ministry of Justice has submitted to the Iraqi Cabinet's Secretariat a list of 1,007 convicts to whom it has issued a special pardon, including 57 juveniles.

The Iraqi government on April 7th had submitted a recommendation to President Barham Saleh, at his request, proposing a special pardon of certain prisoners to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.

Those eligible for the conditional release are prisoners who have completed half of their sentences or who have less than a year left to serve, as well as convicts sentenced to one year in prison or less.

A convict may be released on the condition that the complainant or the victim's family waive their rights before an investigating judge or the court, a source with the Ministry of Justice who asked to remain anonymous told Diyaruna.

Prisoners convicted of crimes related to corruption, terrorism or the violation of Iraq's foreign or domestic security are not eligible for the pardon.

Additionally, those convicted of crimes of financial and administrative corruption, money laundering and wasting public funds, counterfeiting currency, drug trafficking, antiquity smuggling, rape and human trafficking are not included in the pardon.

Ministry secures prisons against virus

No cases of infection with the coronavirus have been recorded among the prison population to date, the ministry source said.

Since the virus first started to spread, the ministry has taken strict precautionary measures, he said, noting that Justice Minister Faruq Ameen al-Shawani has ordered the temporary suspension of family visits to prisoners in order to ensure their safety.

Prison guards are only allowed to take one-week leaves instead of two, he said, adding that guards and staff have to undergo medical exams before they enter the prison facilities, and their belongings need to be sanitized.

The ministry conducts daily sterilisation of all prison wards and has equipped inmates and staff with masks and gloves, he said, in addition to administering periodic medical and temperature checks.

Awareness courses on the virus and the ways to avoid it are held at the prisons, he said, and human rights teams regularly visit prisons to check the inmates' conditions and monitor the measures taken to address the pandemic.