NINEWA: PROVINCE'S CHIEF JUDGE MOVING AHEAD ON

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 000999 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV CJUS PHUM MARR PREL IZ SUBJECT: NINEWA: PROVINCE'S CHIEF JUDGE MOVING AHEAD ON AMNESTY LAW IMPLEMENTATION REF: A. BAGHDAD 726 ¶B. BAGHDAD 518 Amnesty Law Implementation Moving Forward -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Chief Judge (CJ) for Ninewa Province Faisal Sadeeq Hadeed told PRToffs March 16 that preparations for implementation of the Amnesty Law were well underway in this northern province. CJ Faisal said he had formed committees that had already begun receiving and reviewing applications for amnesty. CJ Faisal said there was a 10-day period between an application and when the official file was required to be presented to the amnesty committee. The first applications were filed on March 6 and the respective files had been received. CJ Faisal expected the amnesty committee would eventually be able to handle between 35 and 40 cases per day. CJ Faisal said that he had communicated very little with the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) on the implementation of this law. Public Health Concerns Being Addressed -------------- ¶2. (U) Separately, the PRT asked CJ Faisal about potential health implications of release of prisoners. PRT helped CJ Faisal coordinate with the Iraqi Red Crescent, with the goal of conducting a health screening of detainees in jails in Ninewa before they are released into the general population. Contagious diseases, such as scabies, are rampant in the jail population in the province. CJ Faisal expressed interest in continued coordination with the PRT on this issue. CJ Faisal also agreed that the release of prisoners could be delayed a few days in order to coordinate treatment of infected prisoners but the program needed to be expedited to ensure timely release after treatment. Comment -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Chief Judge Faisal is moving forward rapidly on implementation of the Amnesty Law in Ninewa Province. Given the vagueness of the instructions to the courts, it is not clear exactly how this law will be interpreted and implemented. We will continue to track closely this important process. The PRT will also work closely with the Chief Judge and the Iraqi Red Crescent to ensure that released detainees do not pose a health risk to the general population. CROCKER