General Amnesty Law comes into effect

Shafaq News / On Thursday, Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council Chairman, Faiq Zidan, issued an order to implement the Second Amendment to the General Amnesty Law.

Another document, issued by the Iraqi Presidency, confirmed that “based on the approval of the Iraqi Parliament, as per Articles 61 and 73 of the Constitution, President Abdul Latif Rashid signed the Second Amendment into law.”

The Iraqi Parliament passed three controversial laws on January 21, including amendments to the General Amnesty Law, the Personal Status Law, and a law to return properties in Kirkuk to their rightful owners.

The amendment is seen as a product of political negotiations among Iraq's various factions, with Sunni political groups particularly advocating for it as a condition for their involvement in the government.

The law was passed amid intense debates and disorderly parliamentary sessions, alongside two other controversial bills concerning personal status and the return of property to original Kurdish and Turkmen owners.

Following the session, several lawmakers collected signatures calling for the removal of Parliament Speaker, Mohammed Al-Mashhadani, citing objections over the voting process.

Some lawmakers revealed that the vote was conducted without members raising their hands.