[JURIST] US forces in Iraq [JURIST news archive] will release 50 Iraqi detainees per day during the Muslim religious month of Ramadan, according to an announcement by Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi Friday. The US military confirmed Hashemi's announcement, saying the military has reached a deal with the vice president to begin releasing detainees [JURIST news archive]. Ramadan begins the second week of September, and the detainee releases could begin sooner.

US forces currently have some 23,000 Iraqi detainees [JURIST report] in custody, while Iraqi security forces have detained an additional 60,000. Both figures mark a sharp rise in the number of detainees from last year. Reuters has more.