Chairman of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zidan, arrived in Damascus on Thursday for high-level talks with Syrian officials, as Baghdad and Damascus seek closer cooperation on the handling of Islamic State (ISIS) detainees and other judicial matters.

Zidan was received by Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar Abdulrahman al-Wais upon his arrival in the Syrian capital on August 13, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

The visit, described by INA as the first of its kind, is aimed at strengthening legal and judicial relations between Iraq and Syria amid growing security coordination between the two neighboring countries.

A key issue expected to feature in the discussions is the status of ISIS suspects detained in northeastern Syria and transferred to Iraqi custody. Iraqi authorities have recently received significant numbers of detainees who were previously held in facilities operated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Hasakah province.

The transfers have created complex legal challenges, including questions surrounding the suspects’ individual responsibility, the evidence available against them, prosecution procedures and the legal mechanisms governing crimes committed during ISIS’s years of control over parts of Iraq and Syria.

Zidan’s meetings in Damascus are expected to focus on establishing clearer mechanisms for future detainee transfers, strengthening judicial coordination and expanding the exchange of legal expertise between the two countries.

For Iraq, the issue represents both a major security concern and a significant judicial challenge as authorities work to determine how individual suspects should be investigated and prosecuted for alleged involvement in ISIS activities.

The talks also come as Baghdad and Damascus intensify efforts to prevent ISIS remnants from exploiting security gaps along their shared border.