Prisons in Iraq:

Official Prisons:

According to available reports, there are approximately 30 official prisons under the supervision of the Iraqi Ministry of Justice.

These prisons hold around 60,000 prisoners, including about 1,500 women.

Secret Prisons:

In addition to official prisons, there are secret prisons managed by militias, political parties, and different factions in Iraq.

A report by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor states that Iraqi authorities detain over 60,000 people in 13 government prisons, in addition to dozens of secret prisons.

Secret prisons are usually hidden from public view, and there are no accurate statistics on their number, but reports indicate that they are spread across Iraq.

Conditions in Prisons:

Prisons suffer from severe overcrowding, exceeding 300% of their capacity, which leads to inhuman detention conditions.

Jadiriyah and Al-Muthanna Airports Prisons:

Jadiriyah Prison:

Jadiriyah Prison was an illegal detention center discovered in November 2005.

Prisoners there were subjected to severe torture, including electric shocks, suffocation, and beating.

Al-Muthanna Airport Prison:

Al-Muthanna Airport Prison, discovered in 2010, was a secret detention center in Baghdad operated by a military unit under the supervision of then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

According to reports by Human Rights Watch, prisoners there were subjected to systematic torture, including being hung upside down, severe beatings, electric shocks, and sexual assault.

These prisons highlight the ongoing human rights challenges in Iraq and the urgent need for reforms in the justice system and accountability for those responsible for these violations.

Jurf al-Sakhar

Jurf al-Sakhar (north of Babil province in Iraq) has become a closed-off area since its recapture from ISIS in 2014. It is now under the control of armed militias, primarily Kata’ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades), which are backed by Iran. (Source: Al Arabiya) 

Secret Prisons in Jurf al-Sakhar: 

• Illegal Detention Centers: Multiple reports indicate the existence of secret prisons in Jurf al-Sakhar managed by Kata’ib Hezbollah. Thousands of individuals are believed to be detained without legal procedures. (Source: Al Quds) 

• Forced Disappearances: Human rights sources state that these militias are responsible for the forced disappearance of thousands of civilians during military operations to recapture areas from ISIS. Many of these people are believed to be held in these secret prisons. (Source: Al-Mashareq) 

• Human Rights Violations: International reports, including from Human Rights Watch, highlight arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances by militias across Iraq, including in Jurf al-Sakhar. (Source: HRW) 

Current Situation: 

Despite repeated calls by families of the missing and human rights organizations to reveal the fate of detainees and shut down these prisons, the area remains closed to official bodies and the media. This secrecy has worsened the humanitarian and human rights crisis tied to Jurf al-Sakhar. 

For more details, you can view this investigative report showing the locations of Kata’ib Hezbollah’s prisons in Jurf al-Sakhar: YouTube: Al-Hadath map of secret prisons