The transfer of ISIS detainees to Iraq has continued in recent weeks, with Baghdad receiving 5,046 individuals previously held in Syria, according to an Iraqi security official.
The official told Agence France Presse that most of the transferred detainees are Syrians, alongside hundreds of Arab and foreign nationals. The move is part of a broader plan announced by the United States Central Command to relocate up to 7,000 detainees.
US officials have said the objective is to ensure that the detainees remain in secure detention facilities, while Iraqi authorities have begun legal proceedings against those received.
Breakdown of Nationalities Among Transferred Detainees
According to the Iraqi security official, who requested anonymity, the 5,046 detainees received as of Wednesday include:
- 3,245 Syrians
- 271 Iraqis
- 610 nationals from other Arab countries
- 920 non Arabs
Among the non Arab detainees, the largest groups are from:
- Turkey: 160
- Russia: 131
- Germany: 27
- Sweden: 4
- France: 3
- Australia: 13
Earlier, the head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, Saad Maan, confirmed that 4,583 detainees had been received, noting that transfers were conducted by land and air in coordination with the US led international coalition formed in 2014 to fight ISIS.
The detainees are part of a group of up to 7,000 individuals whose transfer from Syria to Iraq was announced last month by US Central Command, known as CENTCOM.
Background to the Transfer and the Role of the SDF
The transfer of ISIS detainees to Iraq follows years of detention in northeastern Syria, where the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, managed prisons and camps holding thousands of suspected ISIS members and their families, including foreign nationals.
ISIS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019. In Iraq, the group had seized large areas of the north and west in 2014 before Iraqi forces, backed by the international coalition, regained control in 2017.
The announcement of the transfer plan came after US envoy to Damascus Tom Barrack stated that the SDF’s role in confronting the group had come to an end.
Investigations and Judicial Measures in Iraq
Last week, Iraq’s judiciary announced the start of investigative procedures against 1,387 detainees received under the US military transfer operation.
The National Center for International Judicial Cooperation, affiliated with Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, told the Iraqi News Agency that investigations into ISIS detainees arriving from Syria will continue for between four and six months.
The center stated that some of the detainees are considered highly dangerous and are accused of involvement in the use of chemical weapons. It stressed that no discussions regarding their repatriation to their home countries will take place before all legal procedures in Iraq are completed.
Iraq has repeatedly called on concerned countries to repatriate their nationals and ensure they face prosecution. Thousands of Iraqi and foreign nationals convicted of ISIS membership remain in Iraqi prisons.
National Center for International Judicial Cooperation
Established in 2024 after the conclusion of the UN investigative team’s mandate on ISIS crimes, the center is tasked with:
- Collecting and documenting evidence of crimes committed by ISIS
- Coordinating with foreign governments on counter terrorism investigations
- Following up on Iraqi judicial requests to pursue suspects abroad
Conclusion:
The transfer of ISIS detainees to Iraq marks a significant step in reorganizing the legal and security handling of individuals linked to the group. Iraqi authorities are proceeding with investigations under domestic law, while the question of repatriation remains contingent on the completion of judicial processes inside the country.
