Al-Mahdi Army prisoners to benefit from Amnesty Law

Shafaq News/ A parliamentary source confirmed on Wednesday that the new General Amnesty Law will apply to all detainees who meet the criteria outlined in the law, including members of the Sadrist movement, provided they have no criminal records.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that those responsible for reviewing the files of prisoners and overseeing their release have begun their work to expedite the process for those eligible.

 The source emphasized that the Amnesty Law “will cover all prisoners across the country without exception.”

Earlier in the year, Shiite cleric and leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, called for the release of prisoners affiliated with his movement, describing some of them as "resistance fighters" in a post on X.

The Sadrist movement, which took up arms against US forces after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, engaged in intense battles with American troops over the years.

Many leaders and fighters of the movement's armed wing, the "Mahdi Army," were detained during this period, particularly during former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's crackdown known as the "Charge of the Knights," which resulted in the arrest of dozens off Al-Mahdi Army members.

On January 21, the Iraqi parliament passed a series of controversial laws, including amendments to the general amnesty law, the personal status law, and the law for the return of properties to their owners in Kirkuk.