The very beginning of 2013 saw another prison escape in
Iraq. Several death row detainees escaped from a facility in Salahaddin, likely
with the help of guards or prison officials. Every year there are a number of
escapes, and each time they are helped from the inside. This is a result of not
only the widespread corruption throughout the country, but also a reflection of
the dysfunctional criminal justice system.
Taji Prison in Salahaddin has a long and troubled history of
abuse, mistreatment, and escapes (Brussells
Tribunal)
On January 11, 2013, around a dozen prisoners escaped from Taji prison in Salahaddin province. Some were members of Al Qaeda in Iraq,
and all had been sentenced to death. They allegedly got out through windows in
their cells in the morning, and were able to overpower several guards in two
observation towers before they got out. Immediately afterward, the head of the
guards and others at the facility were arrested to see if they provided any
assistance to the detainees. This was the first escape of 2013, at a prison
notorious for them.
Taji prison has a very troubled past. In 2010, when the
facility was turned over by the Americans to the Iraqis, it was reported that Sadrist detainees were able to take over parts of it, imposing their will
over their fellow inmates as well as guards. The next year, there were two
major escapes. The first occurred in January when a militia commander from the League of the Righteous was able to slip out. Then in May, five Mahdi Army
commanders were able to get out as well. In both cases, prison authorities
assisted them, and the leadership of Taji was removed as a result. In
February, there was also a hunger strike over mistreatment, and in June
2012, a protest over people being held without having a trial. Human rights
organizations have supported some of these claims. In its semi-annual report in
2012, the United Nations reported cases of torture going on at Taji. That same
year, the human rights committee in parliament said that it too found abusive
treatment, prisoners being held for years without going to court, others with
lost files meaning that they could not move forward with their cases or be
released, and a lack of medical care. Overall, Taji is emblematic of the
problems that Iraq’s criminal justice system suffers from. The Iraqi
Reconciliation Society, which monitors prisons, claimed that there have been 4,000 escapes with inside help from 2006-2011. The Justice Ministry also
noted that corrupt officials, political pressure, and sectarianism all
contributed to the large number of breakouts. It promised reforms, but because
detainees are held by at least seven different organizations, they would likely
be ineffective. Many Iraqi officials are on the take, and the prisons are no
different. People can secure release, a trial date, or an escape for the right
amount of money. Political interference is another issue that can facilitate
prisoners being released either legally or through escapes. The lack of
accountability allows these abuses to take place, and continue.
Iraq’s entire criminal justice system suffers from a lack of
due process and corruption. The fact that prisoners were able to get out of
Taji prison, which has seen other such breakouts in the past, should be no
surprise. Corrupt guards or administrators who were given bribes or threatened
or pushed by politicians or a combination of all of them likely aided them.
Little has been done to solve these problems other than to fire prison workers
after the fact. Until the whole system is tackled in a comprehensive manner
these cases will continue. That not only makes a joke out of the government,
but undermines its fight against militants, because their arrest means nothing
if their leadership is always able to get out.
SOURCES
AIN, “PHRC reveals “torture cases” against Taji Jail
prisoners,” 6/27/12
Alsumaria, “5 Mehdi Army chiefs escape from Taji prison,”
5/20/11
- “Iraq Justice Ministry: Prisoners escape is an organized
scheme,” 5/21/11
Associated Press, “Officials: Inmates seize weapons, escape
from prison in Iraq,” 1/11/13
Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights/United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Human Rights Office,
“Report on Human Rights in Iraq: January to June 2012,” October 2012
Latif, Nizar, “Corruption blamed for escape of 4,000
militants from Iraq prisons,” The National, 6/3/11
Parker, Ned, “Sadr sees star rise again in Iraq,” Los
Angeles Times, 11/25/10
Al-Shummari, Yazn, “Riots in Rusafa and Baladiyat prisons,”
AK News, 6/5/12
UNAMI Human Rights Office and Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights, “Report on Human Rights in Iraq: 2011,” May 2012
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