Iraqi prisoner tops law school class
An inmate at al-Nasiriyah Central Prison in southern Iraq has secured the top rank in his class at Al-Ain University's College of Law, earning an 'excellent' grade, Iraqi MP Mahmoud al-Qaisi announced on Thursday.
'This proves that personal growth is possible even in the harshest circumstances,' al-Qaisi emphasized in a statement. 'The will to learn is not confined by walls or bars.'
At present, 50 other inmates are also pursuing degrees at Al-Ain University—voted the top private university in Dhi Qar in a local referendum—continuing their education while serving time. Al-Qaisi described them as a 'powerful model of perseverance and a desire to reclaim life through learning.'
Recalling past visits to both al-Nasiriyah (formerly al-Hout) and Kifl prisons, he emphasized that many detainees are eager to transform their lives, urging authorities to improve prison education as a key pillar of rehabilitation and to include the majority of inmates under the General Amnesty Law.
'Prisons must shift from being centers of confinement to spaces that restore human potential and prepare individuals to contribute to Iraq's future,' the lawmaker concluded.
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