ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Four convicted drug dealers were sentenced to life imprisonment, the Iraqi judiciary announced on Sunday.
Najaf Criminal Court sentenced two people to life in prison. One had been found in possession of half a kilogram of methamphetamine while the other was found in possession of “narcotic substances for the purpose of trafficking and selling them among drug users,” according to a statement from the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council.
Two others received similar sentences from Babil’s Criminal Court for possession of “large amounts of narcotic pills.”
The sentences were issued in accordance with Article 28 of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law, which states that anyone convicted of purchasing, dealing, or possessing narcotic substances, or encouraging and promoting the use of such substances, will face up to life in prison and a fine of between 10 million and 30 million dinars.
There has been an alarming rise in drug dealing and use in Iraq in recent years, despite strict measures taken by the government to curb the phenomenon.
Over 1,400 people suspected of dealing and using narcotics were arrested in February, including 16 Iraqis and six foreigners suspected of being major international traffickers.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has ordered the establishment of rehabilitation centers in all Iraqi provinces, excluding the Kurdistan Region, as part of his cabinet’s commitment to combat drugs with the same determination as it fights terrorism.
In 2023, more than 19,000 people were arrested across Iraq on drug-related charges and over 15 tons of psychotropic substances were seized.
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