Iran, Iraq Swap 21 Prisoners
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Tehran and Baghdad have made a prisoner exchange, with 14 Iranian and 7 Iraqi inmates returning home to serve their prison terms, an Iranian deputy justice minister announced.
The prisoners were exchanged via Shalamcheh border crossing, southwest of Iran, on the evening of June 24, Shahrokh Hedayati told Tasnim.
All 21 convicts were men, he added, saying they had been charged with “illegal entry” or crimes related to narcotics.
The swap took place under an extradition treaty between Iran and Iraq and after coordination between the two countries’ juridical officials, foreign ministries and embassies, Hedayati explained.
In April 2011, Iran and Iraq signed agreements on the extradition of criminals, including provisions for the repatriation of convicts to their country of origin.