Iraq and Iran signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on Tuesday to promote judicial and legal cooperation.
The documents were signed in Baghdad between the Chairman of the Iraq Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zidan, and Iran’s Judiciary Chief Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi.
Zidan discussed with Rayeesi boosting judicial and legal cooperation between the two neighboring countries to combat corruption and money laundering.
The Supreme Judicial Council indicated in a statement that the two sides discussed issuing a joint special pardon for Iraqi and Iranian prisoners detained in both countries, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and the law.
The two sides also inked an MoU on judicial cooperation, which was signed by Iranian and Iraqi general prosecutors, and another one on the prisons of the two countries, signed by the heads of the Prisons Organization.
Rayeesi described the relations between Baghdad and Tehran as “good”, saying he looked forward to strengthening judicial and legal relations with Iraq.
“We also aim for the cooperation between the judicial authorities in Iran and Iraq to be constructive and fateful.”
The two delegations discussed the movement of travelers and issues of the personal status of Iraqi and Iranian couples.
The Iranian official also reported that they will discuss the issue of prisoners with President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
In addition, Rayeesi discussed with Zidan exchanging information on the assassination of the commander of al-Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani.
Last January, the Iraqi judiciary issued an arrest warrant for former US President Donald Trump for authorizing the killing of Soleimani and deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in early 2020.
The Iraqi judiciary was ridiculed at that time and accused of following Iran's dictations, prompting the judiciary to make a statement asserting that the arrest warrant was issued after completing its investigations.
In turn, a member of Iraq's Human Rights Commission Ali Bayati denied signing a memorandum of understanding on human rights with Iran.
Bayati told Asharq al-Awsat that the commission did not receive any formal invitation to sign the MoU with its Iranian counterpart.
He explained that cooperation with international human rights commissions is part of the human rights commission's work mechanisms according to its law.
