PRT KIRKUK: MAJOR CRIMES COURT RESUMES TRYING

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 000623 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KDEM SOCI IZ SUBJECT: PRT KIRKUK: MAJOR CRIMES COURT RESUMES TRYING TERRORIST AND OTHER FELONY CASES ¶1. (U) THIS IS A PRT KIRKUK REPORTING CABLE. SUMMARY -------------- ¶2. (U) THE KIRKUK MAJOR CRIMES COURT (MCC) RESUMED OPERATIONS FEBRUARY 28 HEARING A SECOND DOCKET OF 42 CASES. CREATED IN OCTOBER 2007, THE MCC HAS TRIED 26 CASES AND CLEARED A TWO-YEAR BACKLOG OF MAJOR CRIMES CASES, INCLUDING TERRORIST RELATED CASES. PREVIOUSLY, CASES WERE TRIED BY A GROUP OF THREE TRAVELING JUDGES OUT OF THE CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT OF IRAQ (CCC-I) IN BAGHDAD. FOR THE SECOND SESSION, THE KIRKUK MCC IS FULLY STAFFED BY THREE LOCAL JUDGES, ONE PROSECUTOR, AND ONE PUBLIC DEFENDER. END SUMMARY. MCC RESUMES OPERATIONS -------------- ¶3. (U) ON FEBRUARY 28, THE KIRKUK MAJOR CRIMES COURT (MCC) RESUMED ITS PROCEEDINGS WITH A DOCKET OF 42 CASES INVOLVING 54 DEFENDANTS. UNLIKE ITS FIRST SESSION WHICH BEGAN IN OCTOBER 2007, THIS SECOND SESSION WILL BE TRIED EXCLUSIVELY BY LOCAL JUDGES. ON FEBRUARY 28, THE COURT, COMPRISED OF A LOCAL PANEL OF THREE JUDGES AND THE LOCAL PROSECUTOR, BEGAN BY HEARING EIGHT INSURGENCY, TERRORISM AND MAJOR FELONY CASES. JUDGES FOUND THE DEFENDANTS NOT GUILTY IN FIVE TERRORISM CASES DUE TO INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE. IN TWO CASES, THE DEFENDANTS WERE FOUND GUILTY WITH ONE DEFENDANT RECEIVING A 15-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR A WEAPONS AND EXPLOSIVES OFFENSES CONVICTION AND THE OTHER A 20-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR EXTORTION. ONE CASE WAS POSTPONED AND REFERRED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. COURT'S SHORT HISTORY IS IMPRESSIVE -------------- ¶4. (U) FOLLOWING NINE MONTHS OF CLOSE COORDINATION BETWEEN PRT KIRKUK RULE OF LAW TEAM MEMBERS AND NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS, THE KIRKUK MCC OPENED IT DOORS ON OCTOBER 4, 2007. ITS MISSION: TO TRY CASES RELATED TO TERRORISM, INSURGENCY, AND MAJOR FELONIES, INCLUDING CORRUPTION RELATED CASES. DURING THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS OF OPERATION, A GROUP OF THREE JUDGES FROM THE BAGHDAD CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT OF IRAQ (CCC-I) TRIED 26 CASES (36 DEFENDANTS),RESULTING IN 23 CONVICTIONS AND ELEVEN ACQUITTALS. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST SESSION, THE MCC MANAGED TO CLEAR A TWO-YEAR BACKLOG OF CASES IN THE KIRKUK PROVINCE, WHERE NO TERRORIST OR INSURGENT CASES HAD BEEN TRIED BETWEEN APRIL 2003 AND OCTOBER 2007. ¶5. (U) THE KIRKUK MCC IS ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF COURTS ALLOWED TO TRY MAJOR CRIMES CASES OUTSIDE OF BAGHDAD. PREVIOUSLY, THE CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT OF IRAQ IN BAGHDAD HEARD ALL TERRORIST AND INSURGENT CASES, RESULTING IN A MAJOR BACKLOG OF CASES AND LENGTHY DELAYS IN CASE PROCESSING TIMES, WITH DEFENDANTS SOMETIMES WAITING FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS FOR THEIR CASES TO BE HEARD. SINCE THE MCC'S INCEPTION, TOP PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS HAVE REPEATEDLY CONVEYED HOW MUCH THEY VALUE THE MCC AS AN IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT TO COMBAT TERRORISM, INSURGENCY AND CORRUPTION WITHIN THE IRAQI LEGAL SYSTEM. THE COURT IS FULLY STAFFED AND OPERATED BY IRAQIS AND FOLLOWS IRAQI JURISPRUDENCE. MCC JURISDICTION -------------- ¶6. (U) THE MCC FALLS UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE BAGHDAD CCC-I - THE NATIONAL IRAQI COURT THAT HANDLES THE MOST SERIOUS TERRORISM, INSURGENCY AND CORRUPTION CASES. THE MCC HAS JURISDICTION TO TRY TERRORIST, INSURGENCY AND CORRUPTION CASES THAT ORIGINATE IN KIRKUK PROVINCE. THE MCC WAS ESTABLISHED BY A WRITTEN ORDER OF THE CHIEF JUDGE MEDHAT AL MAHMOOD, THE PRESIDENT OF IRAQ'S HIGHER JUDICIAL COUNCIL (HJC). THE HJC IS A SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT BRANCH OF THE GOI THAT ADMINISTERS ALL IRAQ'S COURTS AND JUDGES. ADVANTAGES OF MCC OPERATIONS -------------- ¶7. (U) PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS TELL US THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL ADVANTAGES TO HOLDING MCC PROCEEDINGS IN KIRKUK VERSUS BAGHDAD INCLUDING A VAST REDUCTION IN THE EXPENSE AND THE LEVEL OF DANGER OF TRANSPORTING PRISONERS TO BAGHDAD TO HAVE THEIR CASES HEARD BEFORE THE CCC-I. PREVIOUSLY DUE TO SECURITY CONCERNS, IRAQI POLICE RENTED UNMARKED VEHICLES FOR THE LONG DRIVE FROM KIRKUK TO BAGHDAD. THE LENGTHY JOURNEY ALSO PROVIDED GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRISONERS TO ESCAPE. IN COMPARISON, THE MCC IS NOW LOCATED ON THE SECURE K-1 IRAQI ARMY BASE, A FIFTEEN MINUTE DRIVE FROM THE CENTER OF THE CITY OF KIRKUK. IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS ENCOURAGE CIVIC EDUCATION -------------- -------------- ¶8. (U) PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS ALSO SAY THAT PREVIOUS POOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CCC-I AND KIRKUK'S COURTS AND IRAQI POLICE CAUSED CONFUSION ABOUT TRIAL RESULTS, AND FRUSTRATED KIRKUK RESIDENTS WHO WANTED TO KNOW THE OUTCOMES OF THE MOST SERIOUS CASES. ALL PROCEEDINGS AT THE MCC ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WHO ARE NOW ABLE TO WITNESS FIRST-HAND THE WORKINGS OF PROVINCIAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. ADDITIONALLY, KIRKUK MEDIA NOW HAVE READY ACCESS TO MCC TRIAL RESULTS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND PUBLISH THE SENTENCES AND PUNISHMENTS FOR THE RESIDENTS OF KIRKUK PROVINCE. QUICKER PROCESSING HELPS SOLVES LENGTHY DETENTIONS -------------- -------------- ¶9. (U) THE ARAB BLOC OF THE KIRKUK PROVINCIAL COUNCIL HAS LONG COMPLAINED ABOUT LENGTHY DETENTIONS CAUSED BY THE BACKLOG OF CASES IN THE CCC-I. THE MCC'S ABILITY TO PROCESS CASES MORE RAPIDLY AND PROVIDE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON CASES HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED BY THE ARAB COMMUNITY. STAFFING AND FACILITIES PROMOTE SECURITY AND GREATER EFFICIENCY -------------- ¶10. (U) THE ORIGINAL TRAVELING MCC CONSISTED OF THREE PERMANENTLY ASSIGNED ADMINISTRATIVE AND CLERICAL PERSONNEL. THE MCC HAS A LOCAL PROSECUTOR, PUBLIC DEFENDER AND THREE JUDGES. DURING SESSIONS, STAFF RESIDE ON THE COMPOUND IN NEWLY BUILT LIVING QUARTERS. THE FOUR BUILDING COMPLEX CONSISTS OF A FORMAL COURTROOM WITH FOUR ADJOINING OFFICES; A SECURITY STATION SUFFICIENT FOR THE HOUSING AND OPERATIONS OF THE JUDICIAL GUARD FORCE; A NEW DETENTION FACILITY WITH EIGHT LARGE CELLS, CAPABLE OF SECURELY AND COMFORTABLY HOLDING OVER FIFTY DETAINEES. THE FACILITY ALSO HAS TWO ATTORNEY CONSULTATION ROOMS, WHERE DEFENSE COUNSEL CAN MEET WITH THEIR CLIENTS; AND A FOUR-BEDROOM, SINGLE-STORY DORMITORY-STYLE BUILDING WITH AN AMPLE LIVING ROOM AND DINING ROOM. IRAQ'S CHIEF JUSTICE MEDHAT AL MAHMOOD RECENTLY TOLD PRT OFFICIALS THAT HE HAD CHOSEN A PANEL OF LOCAL JUDGES FOR KIRKUK'S MAJOR CRIMES COURT (MCC) BECAUSE THE SYSTEM OF STAFFING IT WITH TRAVELING CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT OF IRAQ (CCCI) JUDGES WAS NOT SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG RUN DESPITE ITS INITIAL SUCCESS IN KIRKUK. COMMENT -------------- ¶11. (U) THE KIRKUK MCC HAS GREATLY ADVANCED THE RULE OF LAW IN KIRKUK PROVINCE BY ELIMINATING A TWO-YEAR BACKLOG OF TERRORIST, INSURGENCY, AND CORRUPTION CASES. ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE WE HAVE HEARD FROM PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS, SECURITY FORCES PERSONNEL, AND ORDINARY CITIZENS SUGGEST ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND THAT IT HAS BEEN WELL-RECEIVED. ADDITIONALLY, THE PRT HAS OBSERVED AN UNPRECEDENTED DEGREE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE JUDICIARY, IRAQI POLICE, AND IRAQI ARMY TO SUSTAIN MCC OPERATIONS. WHILE THE INITIAL NUMBERS OF CASES TRIED BY PROVINCIAL JUDGES ON FEBRUARY 28 MAY APPEAR MODEST, IT IS THE FIRST TIME LOCAL JUDGES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY TRIED CASES AT THE MCC IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH THE IRAQI POLICE, IRAQI ARMY, CORRECTIONS AND THE DEFENSE BAR. U.S. OPERATIONAL INVOLVEMENT WAS MINIMAL CONSISTING ONLY OF THE PRT PROVIDING ADVICE AND MENTORSHIP. END COMMENT. CROCKER