ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The authorities in the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday confirmed that they have recently handed over more than 40 prisoners of Iranian nationality to Iran, the majority of whom were sentenced for drug-related offenses.
"Within the framework of the security agreement between the Kurdistan Region and the Islamic Republic of Iran, we have handed over 42 convicts to Iran,” Ihsan Abdulrahman Baban, the head of Kurdistan Region’s correctional facilities, told Rudaw, though he did not specify the agreement he was referring to.
“Most of those handed over were from Eastern Kurdistan [western Iran] and had been sentenced in the Kurdistan Region on drug-related charges,” he added.
The individuals were handed over on March 29, the Kurdish official noted, adding that Tehran is expected to hand over a number of prisoners to Erbil.
He also said that the exchange of prisoners between both governments will continue.
The Kurdistan Region has six correctional facilities; two in Erbil, two in Sulaimani, and the other two in Duhok. More than 5,700 convicts are serving their sentences in these facilities, according to the Kurdish official.
Iran’s Deputy Justice Minister for International Affairs Askar Jalalian said on March 29 that 43 Iranian prisoners had been extradited to Iran from Kurdistan Region, reported the Iranian state-owned IRNA.
He added that at least four of the extradited individuals were women, noting that the handover was done as part of an agreement between Tehran and Baghdad.
Last month, Iran extradited at least 180 of its nationals prisoned in other countries, according to Jalalian.
