Human Rights Crisis Unveiled: Corruption and Human Trafficking in Iraqi Prisons Expose Violations and Social Stigma

"Corruption and Human Trafficking".. Scandals of Iraqi Prisons and Their Impact on Prisoners' Families

The family of Mustafa, consisting of nine members, has been living in the same house in Baghdad for 33 years. With the beginning of Mustafa's imprisonment, they decided to move to a new residence without informing anyone of his whereabouts.

Mustafa's mother (31 years old) tells "Raise Your Voice": "Nothing heals the feeling of shame except escape."

Years ago, the court sentenced Mustafa to prison under Article "281" of the Penal Code related to forgery, leading his family to feel that the verdict had social consequences for their lives.

His mother adds, "The verdict was not just a punishment for one person but for the entire family, to the extent that relatives and acquaintances distanced themselves from us because they saw it as a disgrace."

In this regard, human rights activist Nadia Abd says that Iraqi society "usually associates a prisoner's family with shame and with operations of bargaining and blackmail imposed on its members, especially the wife, mother, and sister."

She explains to "Raise Your Voice" that acquaintances of the prisoner's family usually describe the latter as "suspicious" because entering prison means "the prisoner or his family members are exposed to rape and other forms of sexual assault."

The family faces this social stigma even when the charges against the prisoner are dropped and he is acquitted.

Abd states, "But when prison becomes the fate of a woman or a girl, it is much harder because besides speculations about her being subjected to sexual assaults inside the prison, she is always at risk of being killed (to wash away the shame) even after her release, even if the crime she committed was in self-defense or to protect her honor."

Serious Violations

Lawyer Widad Taha Khalil believes that the recent statements made by the head of the Reform and Change Foundation, Sabah Al-Kanani, regarding a series of serious violations inside Iraqi prisons in a televised interview have sparked a wave of condemnation and anger "not because they are new and strange but because people can no longer bear the destruction that has befallen the country, even though what is happening today in prisons is no different from what used to happen in prisons under the previous regime." According to Al-Kanani, prisons "are run by mafias outside them, in cooperation with gangs inside."

He stated that "these mafias are divided among those who traffic drugs, those who buy and sell prisoners, a third involved in food, and another specialized in smuggling mobile phones and internet networks."

Furthermore, "collusion occurs between mafias and some officers and officials, in exchange for a sum of money, to transfer young inmates to another place where they are sexually assaulted." He continued that "senior prisoners have become more like gangs and possess a lot of money. The price for assaulting a person can reach around $10,000 for them to be raped."

Al-Kanani believes that there are also operations of bargaining and blackmail against prisoners' families through communication with their wives and mothers claiming to transfer them to a better place within the prison or to stop the torture against them, all in exchange for financial sums.

He affirmed that he has testimonies and leaked recordings from prisoners' families and female prisoners who were subjected to rape.

Fertile Ground

Returning to lawyer Widad Taha Khalil, she tells "Raise Your Voice" that prisons are "a fertile ground for human trafficking operations, sexual assaults, drug trafficking, medicines, mobile phones, and other supplies."

She adds, "Matters do not stop at just trafficking but extend to torturing prisoners and pressuring them to obtain personal benefits related to sexual pleasures or to make false confessions or to force them to pay large sums of money."

"In addition to the lack of services, medical neglect, and the spread of serious infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, scabies, hepatitis, and others," Khalil continues.

She points out that the government is incapable of reforming Iraqi prisons because the issue is "significant and linked to political parties and dangerous gangs."

Political Motives

In the same context, human rights activist Yasser Jumaa says that "approaching the date of parliamentary elections plays a significant role in escalating scandals like what is happening with prisons."

He adds to "Raise Your Voice": "Despite the majority's knowledge of these violations, revealing them at such a time comes for political motives aiming to target specific parties and prominent figures for the benefit of their competitors from other parties."

It is expected that the "series of scandals and violations" will continue until the end of the upcoming elections, according to Jumaa, and those affected by these scandals may be acquitted and find an appropriate way out if there is an agreement to share power and gains.

Overcrowding and Poor Conditions

The annual report by the Prisoners' Justice Network for the year 2020 on human rights conditions in prisons and correctional facilities in Iraq, prepared by 11 member organizations in the network, included results from field visits to thirty sites in northern, central, and southern Iraq with two visits per site at different times in 2020.

The report highlighted:

1- Overcrowding in 73% of the sites, where the number of inmates exceeds the capacity of most prisons.

2- 90% of the buildings are unsuitable to be correctional institutions or prisons. Additionally, 53% of sites suffer from insufficient beds, covers, and other necessities.

3- Prison administrations do not provide special clothes for prisoners nor do they provide three meals a day according to health standards that consider calorie intake or illnesses.

4- Prison administrations cannot provide comprehensive healthcare services in general, especially women's medical services at a rate of 100%. Only 60% of administrations can provide elementary education while 90% cannot provide secondary or university education.

5- Severe shortage in social researchers.

6- Cases of suicide or attempted suicide were recorded in 13% of prisons. Threats of suicide were recorded in most sites.

7- There are no productive programs to benefit from inmate labor at a rate of 100%. Cases of drug seizures were recorded in 27% of prison sites in Iraq.

8- 90% of prisons and correctional facilities in Iraq do not have rehabilitative, educational, or evaluative programs according to international standards. There is no follow-up on released convicts by any entity.

The report also documented cases of many released prisoners returning to commit the same crimes or others.

From a Human Rights perspective, the situation described in the article reveals severe violations of human rights in Iraqi prisons. The reported cases of corruption, human trafficking, social stigma against prisoners' families, and lack of basic rights and services for inmates highlight systemic issues that need urgent attention.

To address these human rights concerns and improve the conditions in Iraqi prisons, several solutions can be considered:

1. Reform the Legal System: Implement reforms to ensure that the legal system upholds human rights standards, guarantees fair trials, and protects individuals from arbitrary detention and unjust sentencing.

2. Enhance Oversight and Accountability: Establish independent oversight mechanisms to monitor prison conditions, investigate allegations of abuse, and hold perpetrators accountable for human rights violations.

3. Provide Support for Prisoners' Families: Offer support services for families of prisoners to address the social stigma and challenges they face, including psychological support, legal assistance, and access to information about their rights.

4. Improve Prison Conditions: Address overcrowding, inadequate facilities, and lack of basic necessities in prisons to ensure that inmates are treated with dignity and respect their fundamental rights.

5. Enhance Rehabilitation Programs: Develop rehabilitation and reintegration programs for prisoners to facilitate their successful transition back into society after release, including access to education, vocational training, and mental health support.

6. Combat Corruption and Human Trafficking: Strengthen anti-corruption measures and crack down on human trafficking networks operating within and outside prisons to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation and abuse.

By implementing these solutions and prioritizing human rights in prison reform efforts, Iraq can work towards ensuring that all individuals in detention are treated with dignity, respect, and in accordance with international human rights standards.