Iraq releases 641 Egyptian prisoners

Iraq has released 641 Egyptian prisoners, while 15 remain imprisoned until their families pay a fine.

The Arab and Egyptian prisoners' case has preoccupied Egyptian public opinion. There is a contradiction in figures concerning the number of released citizens, as the Iraqi minister of labor stated that Iraq has released 614 persons, while Egypt declares that 585 of the prisoners have been freed.

Iraqi Minister of Labor Abdel Hamid Aziz El-Sayeg said there are no Egyptian citizens in the Iraqi prisons due to President Saddam Hussein's resolution giving comprehensive amnesty to all Egyptian prisoners, except for 15 Egyptians who remain imprisoned because they owe financial compensation.

Sayeg said Iraqi law calls for them to remain in prison until such time as compensation is paid.

He has also said that there is coordination with the Egyptian embassy in Baghdad to pay this compensation in order to release the rest of them.