Published On 2/7/2026
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Last updated: 7/3/2026 00:31 (Mecca time)
The Iraqi Integrity Commission revealed the seizure of large quantities of Iraqi funds smuggled abroad, in a step it described as qualitative within efforts to combat corruption and recover public funds.
A source in the Commission said that files had been completed to recover 954 defendants residing outside Iraq, including a number in Jordan, as part of the procedures for prosecuting those wanted in corruption cases and seeking to recover them.
The source added that the authority also prepared 262 files for mutual legal assistance, related to Iraqi funds suspected of being smuggled out of the country, with the aim of tracking them and recovering them in coordination with the judicial authorities and concerned countries.
Jordan: We have not received a request to pursue wanted persons
Jordanian sources confirmed to Al Jazeera Net that the Jordanian authorities have not received – so far – any official request from the Iraqi side regarding the extradition of people against the backdrop of the ongoing anti-corruption campaign in Iraq, indicating that the Kingdom views the issue as a judicial matter governed by applicable agreements and legal procedures, and not media positions or discussions.
The sources said that any future measures – in the event of receiving an official request – will be studied in accordance with the applicable legal and constitutional frameworks, and in line with the judicial agreements signed between the two countries, stressing that Jordan does not take any step in this type of files outside the judicial context.
Jordan and Iraq are linked by a legal framework that regulates judicial cooperation, at the forefront of which is the Riyadh Arab Judicial Cooperation Agreement of 1983, which is the basic reference in cases of extradition and mutual legal assistance between Arab countries, after it entered into force in both countries.
Extradition procedures
According to the legal rules governing the extradition of wanted persons between the two sides, submitting an extradition request does not automatically entail the extradition of the wanted person, as the request must be based on completed judicial procedures, such as an arrest warrant, arrest warrant, or an effective judicial ruling issued by the competent authorities in the requesting country, in addition to the availability of the condition of double criminality, such that the act attributed to the wanted person constitutes a crime in both Jordanian and Iraqi legislation.
Extradition requests are also subject to judicial oversight in the country from which extradition is requested, as the competent courts examine the file to ensure that it meets the legal conditions and the agreement, including verifying the identity of the wanted person, the nature of the crime, the integrity of the judicial procedures, and that the lawsuit or punishment has not expired by statute of limitations, or the case has already been decided by a final ruling.
The extradition procedures begin with the judicial authorities in the requesting country, which prepare the recovery file attached to the necessary documents and judicial rulings, before sending it through the official channels stipulated in the agreements.
On the other hand, the role of the International Police (Interpol) is limited to circulating bulletins for wanted persons and coordinating their temporary arrest when necessary, without having the authority to decide on the issue of extradition.
When any request arrives in Jordan, the competent judicial authorities are responsible for examining it and issuing the appropriate decision regarding its acceptance or rejection, considering that the extradition of wanted persons is a purely judicial procedure, subject to the provisions of the law and judicial oversight, and not an administrative decision.
Judicial cooperation between the two countries is not limited to extraditing people, but also extends to exchanging information and judicial deputies, tracking, freezing and recovering funds obtained from crimes, especially in cases related to corruption, embezzlement and money laundering, within the framework of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and other relevant international agreements.
This cooperation is also based on Article (21/2) of the Jordanian Constitution, which stipulates that the procedures for extraditing criminals are determined by international agreements and laws, while the Jordanian judiciary has decided not to accept extradition requests unless they are based on an agreement in force between the Kingdom and the requesting country.
The sources confirm that any request that may come from Iraq in the future will be considered in accordance with this legal system, and in a way that balances the Kingdom’s international obligations, fair trial guarantees, and respect for the rights of individuals and the rule of law.
