Iraq
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- federal parliamentary democracy
- CONSTITUTION
- ratified on October 15, 2005 (currently under review by the Constitutional Committee and likely to be subject to a referendum in the future)
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on European civil law and Islamic law
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- Council of Representatives
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- according to the constitution, the federal judiciary includes the High Judicial Council, the Federal Supreme Court, the Federal Court of Cassation, the Public Prosecutor's Department, the Judicial Oversight Commission, and other federal courts
RELIGIONS
97% Muslims; Christian and Hindu minorities
From the country
OCTOBER 8, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT SENTENCES THREE DRUG TRAFFICKERS TO DEATH
Iraq’s Central Criminal Court has sentenced three drug traffickers to death for their involvement in the trafficking of narcotic substances, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported on October 6, 2024.
- SEPTEMBER 28, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ HANGS 21 MOSTLY ON ‘TERROR’ CHARGES – SOURCES
Iraqi authorities have hanged at least 21 people, including a woman, most of them convicted over “terrorism” charges, three security sources said on September 25, 2024.
AUGUST 8, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: THREE PAKISTANI NATIONALS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TERRORISM AND ROBBERY CHARGES
Three Pakistani youths have been sentenced to death by a local court in Iraq on charges of terrorism and robbery, propakistani.pk reported on August 5, 2024.
JULY 30, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING DHI QAR OFFICIAL
An Iraqi court in Baghdad sentenced a person to death on July 29, 2024 for killing a Dhi Qar counterterrorism official earlier this year.
JULY 23, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 10 PEOPLE EXECUTED IN NASIRIYAH'S CENTRAL PRISON FOR TERRORISM
Iraqi authorities on July 22, 2024 hanged 10 people convicted of "terrorism", security and health sources said.
- JULY 11, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQI COURT SENTENCES WIDOW OF FORMER ISIS LEADER AL-BAGHDADI TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on July 10, 2024 sentenced the widow of former longtime Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to death for enslaving kidnapped Yazidi women, state media reported.
JULY 10, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: ISIS SUSPECT SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on July 9, 2024 handed a death sentence to a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) member in Salahaddin province, state media reported.
- JULY 6, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTY
SWEDEN SAYS THREE CITIZENS GIVEN DEATH SENTENCES IN IRAQ OVER SHOOTING
Three Swedish citizens have been sentenced to death in Iraq over their involvement in a shooting and a fourth may also face the same punishment over a separate crime, the Swedish foreign ministry said on July 4, 2024.
JULY 3, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: ANOTHER SWEDISH CITIZEN SENTENCED TO DEATH
Another Swedish citizen has been sentenced to death in Iraq by a court decision, Report News Agency informed on July 2, 2024 referring to the Dagens Nyheter newspaper citing the press service of the Swedish Foreign Ministry.
- JUNE 18, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTY
SWEDEN SUMMONS IRAQI DIPLOMAT TO PROTEST DEATH PENALTIES REPORTEDLY HANDED TO 2 SWEDES
Sweden's Foreign Ministry said officials summoned the Iraqi chargé d’affaires on June 14, 2024 to protest against death sentences handed down to Swedes in Iraq.
JUNE 17, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: IN RECENT WEEKS MORE THAN 60 PEOPLE EXECUTED
At least 63 people have been executed in Nasiriyah Central Prison in recent weeks alone. Human rights groups accuse the judiciary and executive authorities of abusing detainees and coercing them into making false confessions to justify the imposition of t
JUNE 11, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 7 DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Iraqi court has sentenced seven individuals to death for drug trafficking, including one foreign national. The Central Criminal Court’s decision, announced on June 9, 2024 by the Supreme Judicial Council