Iraq: Information confirming the granting of amnesty by Iraqi government to individuals living abroad and its consequences; treatment of Iraqis in Dubai
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IRQ0728 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iraq: Information confirming the granting of amnesty by Iraqi government to individuals living abroad and its consequences; treatment of Iraqis in Dubai, 1 April 1989, IRQ0728, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab1264.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
On December 2, 1987, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein granted amnesty to all Iraqis living abroad who were convicted or suspected of criminal offenses, including those sentenced to death. [ Keesing's Record of World Events, (London, Keesing's Reference Publications), Vol XXXIV, p. 35862.] In September 1988, Hussein announced an amnesty for Kurds who fled the country during August, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (U.S. Department of State, 1989), p. 1361.] and in November 1988, he announced a new amnesty for political offenders, covering prisoners within the country and Iraqis who had fled into exile. ["Saddam Rules, OK", in The Middle East, March 1989, p. 20.] There are no reports presently available at the IRBDC, which specifically refer to the consequences of people returning to Iraq under any of the aforementioned amnesties. The U.S. Country Reports for 1988, however, mention cases of people being unable to leave the country after their return. [ Country Reports, p.1361.] Also, a report on Iraq in Documentation Refugiés, 6/15 November 1988, indicates a degree of uncertainty on the possibility of safe return. [Documentation Refugiés, 6/15 November 1988, p. 6.]
Dubai is one of the seven emirates composing the Union of Arab Emirates (UAE), and has occasionally taken stands regarding internal and external affairs which differ from those of the other UAE member emirates. [The Europa Year Book 1988, (London: Europa Publications Limited, 1988), pp. 2759-2760.] The only information available at present at the IRBDC, Ottawa, regarding the treatment of Iraqi citizens in the UAE, is an Amnesty International report of 1988 which is also quoted in the latest U.S. Country reports. No specific mention of the emirate of Dubai or its capital city, also called Dubai, is made. In the Amnesty Report, arrest and expulsion of some Iraqis has been noted. The only arrests and detention for which location is given, reportedly took place in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, at the Ministry of Interior's Department of Immigration and Passports, and in the emirate of Sharjah. According to the report, some of those arrested were deported after being subjected to torture and questioning regarding links with the Shi'a (Shiite) opposition group of Iraq, al-Da'wa al-Islamiyya or "Islamic Call". [Amnesty Report 1988, (London: Amnesty International, 1988), pp. 257-258.]
A copy of references to the abovementioned subjects, as well as a copy of the section of the Amnesty Report 1988 on the UAE are attached. These are:
-Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (U.S. Department of State, 1989), pp. 1360-1361, 1530-1533.
-Documentation Refugiés, 6/15 November 1988, pp. 5-6.
-"Saddam rules, OK", in The Middle East, March 1989, p. 20.
-Amnesty Report 1988, (London: Amnesty International, 1988), pp. 257-258.
