Iraq’s jails buckle under overcrowding as amnesty law frees thousands – Middle East Monitor

Iraq’s prison system is under severe strain, operating at more than double its capacity, as a newly enacted general amnesty law results in the release of thousands of inmates, Justice Minister Khaled Shwani has said.

The country’s 30 official prisons, excluding those in the Kurdistan Region, currently house around 67,000 detainees despite being built to accommodate just half that number. Thousands more remain in the custody of security agencies awaiting…