JEDDAH – The Iraqi government is preparing to hand over 19 Saudi prisoners in line with an extradition agreement between the two countries. According to an unidentified source quoted by Al-Hayat newspaper on Thursday, there are only 26 Saudis in Iraqi jails. Six of them are on death row and the rest are serving sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years. According to the extradition deal, all 19 Saudis serving jail terms are to be repatriated to the Kingdom. In March, Iraq agreed to repatriate Saudi prisoners who fought alongside insurgents against US-led forces. The deal came less than a month after the Kingdom named an ambassador to Baghdad for the first time since Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. According to the prisoner exchange deal, death sentences, charges and fines will remain unchanged. Meanwhile, Iraq is likely to release two Tunisian prisoners after a presidential pardon expected in the next two days as a gift to a senior official from the country during his upcoming visit to Baghdad. — SG
