70 Saudis remain jailed in Iraq with no contact with family

There has been no communication in four years between 70 Saudi nationals held in Iraqi prisons and their families, Al-Watan newspaper reported yesterday.

A source told the paper that there has been no communication with the men and the only way families get news is through contact with families of Iraqi prisoners who visit them in prisons.

Sources said 54 Saudis were locked up in the notorious Al-Nasiriyah prison while 10 were held on death row in Al-Rasafah prison in Baghdad after summary trials.

They said the Iraqi government did not notify the Saudi Embassy in Baghdad when they were put on trial and sentenced to death.

Six other Saudi prisoners are being held in the airport prison in Al-Muthana.

The sources said they expect the prisoners to be executed any moment as the Iraqi government has not respected existing agreements, including one relating to a prisoner swap which was signed by the Saudi interior minister and the Iraqi justice minister.

A father of one of the Saudi prisoners, who opted not to be identified, said he asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to exert more efforts to end the plight of the Saudi prisoners in Iraq who face an uncertain future.

The father said he also appealed to international human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, to exert more pressure on the Iraqi government to end the prisoners’ plight.