Latest news with #Luaibi
Rudaw Net
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi ministry says over 2,200 prisoners released under general amnesty law
Also in Iraq Iraqi university to launch AI programs Iraq welcomes India-Pakistan ceasefire Komala offshoots evacuate Sulaimani bases Iraq bans protests ahead of Arab League summit in Baghdad A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least 2,200 prisoners have been released from jails across the country under the general amnesty law, which took effect in mid-February, the Iraqi justice ministry said on Sunday. 'So far, 2,250 prisoners have been released under the general amnesty law,' ministry spokesperson Ahmed al-Luaibi told Rudaw. Since the law entered into implementation, more than 300 prisoners have also been released after completing their sentences, according to Luaibi. According to ministry data, Iraq's 30 prisons house some 67,000 inmates, including 1,600 foreigners. The general amnesty law, which amended the 2016 law's interpretation of affiliation with terrorist organizations, was pushed by Sunni Arab lawmakers. The amendment was a key prerequisite for Sunni blocs to agree to join the ruling State Administration Coalition, which was formed in September 2022 and backed Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani into office. Sunni lawmakers argue that thousands from their community have been unjustly imprisoned in Shiite-majority Iraq since 2003 over alleged terrorism links. The controversial law went into effect in mid-February after being published in the Official Gazette of Iraq, along with two other controversial laws demanded by Shiite and Kurdish lawmakers - the personal status and land restitution laws, respectively. The Islamic State (ISIS) seized vast swathes of Iraqi territory in 2014. During the liberation battles, thousands were arrested for suspected ISIS links, particularly in Sunni-majority provinces, like Anbar, Nineveh, and Salahaddin provinces. Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
29-01-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Iraq underutilizes vast oil reserves: Former oil minister
Also in ECONOMY Kirkuk oil deal to boost local economy: BP KRG slams Iraq for retracting amendment seeking resumption of Kurdish oil exports US firms seek investment Kurdistan Region, urge oil export resolution: Expert Oil producers welcome proposal to facilitate Kurdish oil exports A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq sits atop vast oil reserves but fails to fully exploit them, a former oil minister said Wednesday, criticizing the country's energy policies and OPEC-imposed restrictions. 'We have 520 geological oil patches in the country, but so far the utilized patches are 73 only," Abduljabbar al-Luaibi said during a panel at the Iraq Development Platform conference in Baghdad. 'Iraq as you know… is situated on lakes of oil, but it does not make a difference,' he emphasized. Iraq, OPEC's second-largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia, has been cutting crude exports to comply with its OPEC+ quota. In December, the country sold 3.259 million barrels per day, reaching its lowest annual average sales since 2015, according to Iraq Oil Report. Luaibi said the restrictions imposed by OPEC could be addressed, adding, 'Considering that the country is our country and we are free to do whatever we want with it.' He said that while renewable energy has gained importance, 'the oil situation has remained central to energy priorities.' 'This industry requires a total revision, a revision from the government, a revision from the parliament, and a revision from experts… to manage this big dossier… you need planning,' the former minister said. He added that the oil industry's bureaucratic and administrative landscape has remained 'in the same situation' for decades. Iraq's oil ministry comprises 16 companies. The North Oil Company oversees four fields in the oil-rich Kirkuk province, which is set to be redeveloped by British energy giant BP. The deal was signed earlier this month during a visit to London by a delegation led by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani. On Tuesday, Zaid Elyaseri, head of BP in Iraq, said the company might finalize the deal with Baghdad at the start of February, adding that the project could 'stimulate the local economy by working with local companies and providing job opportunities.' He added that BP is 'committed to working with the existing cadres in the North Oil Company.'
