The Investigator Organization for Supporting Rule of Law and Democracy (IOL), as part of the activities of the Prisoners’ Justice Network (JNP) and with the support of Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), organized a special evening session titled “International Day of Peace and the Future of the Alternative Sentencing Law” to mark the International Day of Peace, observed annually on 21 September.
The event was held as part of the organization’s annual tradition of commemorating the International Day of Peace. As part of the event, a collection of artworks created by talented individuals was displayed, expressing the values of peace and human rights. This year, the organization also placed particular emphasis on an important and timely issue: the draft Alternative Sentencing Law, prepared by the Prisoners’ Justice Network (JNP).
This part of the event aimed to increase awareness of the Alternative Sentencing Law, build broader support for the issue, and enrich the provisions of the draft law, so that the draft can be finalized and presented to members of Parliament following the Kurdistan parliamentary elections, with the aim of advancing the legislative process toward its adoption as law.
At the beginning of the session, Mr. Pishwa Hussamaddin, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of IOL, delivered a welcoming speech, highlighting the importance of the occasion and the topics of the session. This was followed by the reading of a statement by the President of the Erbil Appellate Court, delivered by Judge Nader Abdulaziz Herki, President of Erbil Criminal Court/1, reaffirming the support of the President of the Erbil Appellate Court for the project.
Next, Mr. Falah Mustafa, Head of the Non-Governmental Organizations Department, delivered the department’s statement, emphasizing the important role of organizations and joint initiatives and expressing appreciation to IOL for its efforts and activities. Mr. Shwan Saber, President of the Prisoners’ Justice Network (JNP), then presented a historical overview of the origins of the alternative sentencing concept and its key positive aspects. Subsequently, Dr. Dler Saber, Adviser to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, presented the contents of the draft Alternative Sentencing Law, after which participants were given the opportunity to share their comments and views.
The event was attended by a large number of legal experts, judges, parliamentary advisers, representatives of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region, university professors, judicial investigators, lawyers, senior police officers, representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), representatives of correctional institutions in the Kurdistan Region, representatives of civil society organizations, and journalists.