BAGHDAD: An Iraqi official says that 11 female detainees facing criminal charges are to be released soon while women prisoners will be transferred to jails in their home provinces, in an apparent attempt by the government to appease Sunni protesters.
Justice Ministry spokesman Haider al-Saadi says the relatives of the female detainees can pay the bail to secure their release. He also said Thursday that 13 Sunni women convicted of criminal charges will be transferred from a Baghdad jail to other prisons in their home provinces to complete their sentences there.
The government move addresses one of the main demands of a wave of demonstrations that have swept across Iraq's predominantly Sunni provinces against the Shiite-dominated government. The protesters' demands also include guarantees of better government services.