Iranian Ambassador: Iraq to transfer convicts this week

Shafaq News/ Iran’s Ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadegh, announced on Tuesday that 130 Iranian prisoners detained in Iraq will be transferred to Iran before the end of the week to complete their sentences.

In a statement carried by Iranian state television, Al-Sadegh said, “130 Iranian convicts will be transferred from Iraq to Iran before the end of this week.”

“This comes as part of an agreement between Iraq and Iran, allowing them to serve out their sentences in Iran, as part of the eighth phase of the agreement between the two countries,” he added.

The agreement, signed in 2014, facilitates the exchange of prisoners between the two nations, allowing each country to assume custody of its nationals serving sentences abroad.

Last year, Iran’s judiciary revealed that Iraq had approved the transfer of 130 out of 160 Iranian prisoners held in Iraqi prisons.

Additionally, Iranian authorities have been working to secure the transfer of Mohammad Reza Nouri, an Iranian national serving a life sentence in Iraq since August 2023 for the murder of American teacher Stephen Edward.