Authorities investigate after Iraqi prison break

Iraqi police were questioned by authorities yesterday after 21 prisoners broke out of jail. It was the latest escape to highlight serious failings in the country’s security system.

Ten of the prisoners, all convicted of drug and terrorism offences, were captured by yesterday afternoon after a manhunt started at dawn.

The Interior Ministry issued an order for all officers and police at Hilal district prison to be confined to their barracks while an investigation into the escape was carried out.

The prison is in Muthanna province, about 300 kilometres south of Baghdad.

It was not immediately clear how the prisoners broke out, but escapes are often blamed on security personnel accepting bribes.

Other prisoners receive help from armed groups or tribes that are often equipped with heavy weapons.

Last year, Transparency International ranked Iraq 160th out of 180 countries in its Corruption Perceptions Index.

In March, members of a proIran group disguised themselves as soldiers to free a drug trafficker who was being moved by police to a court in Amara, a town in rural southern Iraq.

In an effort to flush out the escaped prisoners and discourage people from sheltering them, the authorities in Muthanna promised “a financial reward to anyone who catches a fugitive”.

Security forces enlisted the help of tribal leaders in the manhunt.

Prison breaks are a sensitive subject in Iraq, where thousands of people have been convicted of terrorism offences, mainly for fighting for ISIS. Foreigners are among those convicted.

Extremist groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda have already organised escapes from Iraqi prisons and say they plan to carry out others.

Iraq is regularly criticised by human rights activists for the conditions of its jails.

Cells built to hold about 20 prisoners often contain up to 50, a source working in the jails said.

Prisoners are often caught smuggling phones or passing on information during family visits.