Maliki issues general amnesty to Diyala detainees 'with the exception of those involved in killing Iraqis'

Detainees in Baqouba, capitla of Diyala province, in February. Intensified operations in the province, a Sunni insurgent hotbed, have been going on since the beginning of January.

BAGHDAD: Detainees in a province northeast of Baghdad will be freed if they were not involved in killing Iraqis, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has approved amnesty for detainees accused of lesser crimes in Diyala province, the ministry said in a statement.

It did not explain what would happen to detainees accused of killing American troops, and a spokesman was not immediately available to elaborate. Al-Maliki is currently on a four-day trip to Japan.

"Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has agreed to issue a general amnesty to detainees held in the province of Diyala with the exception of those involved in killing Iraqis," the short statement said.

Read the rest at the International Herald Tribune

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