Some 1,000 detainees in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison has been freed, the US military said Saturday.

Those released are most Sunni Arabs who are not guilty of serious and violent crimes, a military statement said.

The move, the largest detainee release till now, came at the request of the Iraqi government, which was appealed by Sunni Arabs to free thousands of Iraqi detainees in the prison on the outskirts of Baghdad.

Sunni Arabs are now locked in stalled negotiations with Shiites and Kurds on a draft constitution.

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Hajim al-Hassani said Saturday that no accord was reached on the draft constitution after overnight talks with Shiite and Kurdish negotiators.

Hassani, a Sunni, said the Shiite majority had proposed draft amendments to meet the demands of the Sunnis, but Sunni leaders had yet to give a definite response.

"A final decision will be clear only on Sunday," he added.

Abu Ghraib prison made the world headlines when reports emerged on prisoner humiliation and torture by US military staff there.

Source: Xinhua