More than 100 Iraqis in Saudi prisons: Iraqi Human Rights Commission member
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region —A member of Iraq’s Human Rights Commission called on the Iraqi government to include in its talks with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia the fate of 100 Iraqis being held Saudi prisons, while the two countries are engaged in negotiations reestablish and strengthen ties.
“Dr. Ali al-Bayati, a member of the Supreme Human Rights Commission, called on the Iraqi government to include the portfolio of imprisoned Iraqis in the prisons of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within the sections of developing ties and cooperation between the two sides,” read a statement from the commission on its Facebook page on Thursday.
“Official figures” place the number of Iraqis in Saudi prisons at more than 100, claimed al-Bayati.
“Most of them are accused of illegally crossing the border and selling goods on the border areas as they reside in villages close to the Iraqi-Saudi border,” added al-Bayati.
“International standards” stipulate that Iraq should find a way for imprisoned Iraqis to be in touch with their families especially through its embassy, he implored.
Bayati also called on Baghdad ask Riyadh to allow their commission to visit with the Iraqi inmates in the Saudi prisons.
“The commission’s member called for reopening the cases of exchanging prisoners sentenced with crimes other than terrorism between the two countries to finish their sentences in their home countries,” added the statement.
The request by the commission was issued as Iraq and KSA are bolstering ties. A 100-memember KSA-delegation, including nine ministers, has come to Iraq.
The two sides discussed a number of topics, including investment and trade. The Saudi side pledged $1 billion in loans and gifting Iraq a sports city.
The neighbors are just starting to rebuild the ties which were greatly damaged under the former regime of Saddam Hussein. The relations continued to degrade post-Saddam with pro-Iranian elements being in the Iraqi government.
Iraq is trying to reposition itself regionally, adopting a policy of non-intervention, peacefulness and openness as it is squeezed globally by the US-Iran dynamic and locally by the Sunni-Shiite tug-of-war.