ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s justice ministry said on Sunday that nearly 16,000 prisoners were released from correctional facilities across the country during 2025, including around 11,000 under the amended General Amnesty Law. 

In a statement, the ministry said that the 15,914 inmates were released “within the approved legal procedures and after the completion of auditing and review processes by the relevant committees.” 

Included in that number are 10,931 prisoners who were freed under the provisions of the amended General Amnesty Law, which has been in effect since February 2025. 

The law was among the main demands of the Sunnis to join the ruling State Administration Coalition that backed Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. 

It redefines the concept of affiliation to terrorism, specifically for thousands of Sunnis who were arrested during the battle against the Islamic State (ISIS) when the jihadists seized large parts of Iraq in 2014. 

In late September, justice ministry spokesperson Ahmed Laibi asserted that the law has contributed “significantly” to reducing overcrowding in prisons across the country.

Human rights watchdogs have long criticized the “inhumane” conditions inside Iraqi prisons, citing severe overcrowding, outdated facilities, and weak public prosecution oversight.