Maliki to release 8 Tunisians being held in Iraq

Special envoy of Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, Adnan Mansar, has claimed that Iraqi President Nouri al-Maliki has assured him that Iraq would pardon the eight Tunisians currently being held in his country on terrorism charges. Mansar said that the case of seven other Iraqi prisoners will be discussed during the Iraqi Minister of Justice Hassan al-Shimmari's visit to Tunisia in June, where he will sign a judicial cooperation agreement. According to Mansar, PM Maliki has instructed his aides to initiate amnesty proceedings, and the eight prisoners, accused of breaching Iraqi laws such as entering the country illegally, are expected to be released within the next ten days. The group of seven prisoners, being held on terrorism charges, are expected to be released under a judicial agreement which would entitle them to spend the rest of their jail terms in Tunisian prisons. Meanwhile, President Marzouki held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Friday, as part of his his official visit to Germany. The meeting focused on issues of common interest, and both sides agreed on the need to formulate a comprehensive approach to the financial crisis, which also threatens the Sahel region. Marzouki and Merkel condemned the killing of innocent civilians in Syria and urged all parties to find a political solution to the crisis. German Chancellor Merkel reaffirmed Germany's support for the democratic transition currently underway in Tunisia and expressed confidence in the ability of the Tunisian people to elect a stable government. President Marzouki claimed that there had been a qualitative shift in Tunisian-German relations since the revolution, and said it was important to turn Tunisia's remaining debt into sustainable development projects. The Tunisian leader revealed that he had discussed economic cooperation with German President Joachim Gauck. The meeting with his German counterpart touched on strengthening economic relations between the two countries and achieving growth. Marzouki hailed Germany's economic support for Tunisia through measures such as lifting the pace of trade exchange, and encouraging investment in alternative energy, environment, vocational training, and scientific research. Marzouki said that he would invite various Tunisian political parties for dialogue with the aim of reaching a consensus on the policies from early next week. The Tunisian President's delegation currently visiting Germany includes Rania Zar, the daughter of Tunisian security officer Lutfi Zar, who was killed during violent clashes between security forces and activists after the funeral of assassinated left-wing opposition leader Chokri Belaid last month.