French IS suspects stand trial in Iraq

Baghdad: A trial commenced on Sunday for six French nationals accused of Islamic State (IS) group membership, as Iraq seeks to prosecute thousands of suspected IS members, reports AFP. The move follows a recent influx of thousands more IS suspects transferred from neighboring Syria and placed in Iraq's crowded prisons. Six French citizens, among a group of 47 transferred from Syria last year, are among those on trial.

The identities of the French suspects remain undisclosed, though one is linked to the 2016 Nice attack orchestrated by IS. Iraq, once under IS's control, declared victory over the group in 2017, and its neighboring Syria defeated the extremists two years later. However, Iraq continues to grapple with the aftermath of IS's reign, including mass graves and uninvestigated brutality testimonies.

Over the years, Iraqi courts have issued hundreds of execution orders and life sentences to those convicted of terrorism offenses, including foreign fighters. France, a frequent jihadist target, has been debating repatriation of IS suspects and their family members. French attorneys recently advocated for the return of the detained French nationals, expressing concern over the potential death penalty.

In February, nearly 5,700 IS detainees from more than 60 countries were transferred to Iraq, including at least five French nationals, some minors. Iraq has interrogated and is now proceeding with trials for these individuals, with more than 450 Syrians set to be released after investigations found insufficient evidence for prosecution.

Earlier this month, Iraq returned two detained foreigners, one from Finland and another from the US, after they were cleared of suspicion.