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Iran
- On Sunday May 20, the Kurdistan Human Rights Association reported the killing of one Kurdish man and the injury of two others by Iranian regime border guards. The Kurds were attacked by the border guards while harvesting farms near the Iraqi Kurdistan border. According to the Soran District police, in Iraqi Kurdistan, the victims were from Warmia, Iran. On the same day, Iranian authorities shot dead tens of horses belonging to Kolbars (i.e. Kurdish border porters). For several weeks, Iran’s Kurdish population has protested the government’s closure of its border with Iraqi Kurdistan. Last week, the Iranian regime finally promised to open the border; however, beyond this statement, no actions have yet been taken to open the border. In the meantime, the Iranian government continues to raid Kurdish businessmen and workers, especially in Baneh City. In other news, a three-day protest broke out in Kazerun in Fars Province in response to the Iranian government’s decision to divide Kazerun into two separate counties. The Iranian regime responded to these protests with a heavy hand, killing at least two protesters so far.
- Despite recently halting his execution, the Iranian government has once again transferred Ramin Panahi, a Kurdish man, to the Sena execution facility on May 17. The fate of Panahi remains unknown, as his lawyers and families, who are repeatedly emphasizing his innocence, continue to call upon the regime to cancel his execution. Since his initial arrest, Amnesty International has called on the Iranian regime to cancel his execution, especially in light of the unfair trial conducted against him.
Iraq
- On May 19, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission announced the final results of the parliamentary elections held on May 12. The Kurdish parties won 58 seats in five provinces on the county: the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) won 25 seats, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) won 18 seats, the Change Party (Gorran) won 5 seats, the New Generation Party won 4 seats, the Islamic Group (Komal) won 2 seats, the Islamic Union (Yagarto) won 2 seats, and the Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ) won 2 seats. The KDP and PUK are expected to unite in Baghdad for upcoming talks among the various Iraqi political parties to form a new Iraqi government. The other Kurdish political parties, who together hold 18 seats, continue to hold separate talks with one another. Some of these parties are also calling for a boycott of the political process in protest of accusations of rigging and corruption in the election. In Kirkuk the PUK won 6 of 12 seats allocated to the province. Meanwhile, the “Arab Coalition” won 3 seats in Kirkuk, with the Turkey-backed Turkmen Front List also winning three seats. Hassan Turan, deputy head of the Turkmen Front, was fined 50 million Iraqi Dinars ($40,000) for “Defamation and Incitement Against the Electoral Commission,” for accusatory statements he made after losing the election. This is the biggest fine issued by Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission in its history. Of the seats won by the Turkmen parties, two were won by Shia Turkmen. The Turkmen Front is contentious alliance of Sunni and Shia, secular and Islamist Turkmen political factions. In response to the Iraqi elections, both senior Iranian and American officials are visiting Iraq in attempts to mediate between the various parties while they try to form a new government.
- On May 18, Adel Murad, a prominent Kurdish icon and co-founder of the PUK, passed away in Germany after receiving treatment for his illness. He was born in 1949. Murad, who headed the PUK Central Council, was close to PUK co-founder and former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
- Security forces in Soran District confiscated 70 lb of heroin that came into the Kurdistan region from Turkey. Last month, Kurdistan Region security forces also found a large amount of drugs being smuggled from Turkey into the Iraqi Kurdistan Region that were set to end up in Syria.
Syria
- Contrary to what Turkey’s Foreign Minister stated earlier about reaching an agreement with the U.S. over Manbij City in Syria, U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said “We remain in Manbij, and we remain working with our partners there on the ground.” Meanwhile on May 18, a senior U.S. military delegation visited Manbij and held a meeting with the Manbij Military Council (MMC). After its unilateral, preemptive invasion of Afrin, Turkey threatened to also attack Manbij, an area where the U.S. troops are based. The MMC, which is a part of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), recruited 90 more locals for maintaining the city’s security.
- With the security situation in Afrin continuing to deteriorate since the March 18 invasion by Turkey and its Islamist militia affiliates, some 16 Kurdish individuals, from Bilbul District, who were abducted by these forces remain missing. It is unknown which specific groups abducted these individuals. In response to a number of Yazidis being kidnapped in the area, the Yazidi House, from the Al Jazeera region, and the Union of Yazidis in Afrin released a statement condemning Turkey’s government for its “racist and chauvinist mentality” against Kurds and Yazidis in the region. The statement also says that “we therefore appeal to the concerned authorities and the United Nations to investigate the actions of the fascist [Turkish] government.” On May 19, the Syrian Democratic Council’s (SDC) Aleppo office also condemned the forced demographic changes being orchestrated by Turkey and its Syrian proxy jihadi groups.
Turkey
- The Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) continued its campaign for Turkey’s upcoming snap election on June 24. After the HDP announced that Selahattin Demirtas, the jailed former HDP Co-chair, would be their Presidential nominee, the High Criminal Court rejected a request to release him from prison. Prior to that, the HDP and other Presidential candidates called upon Turkish authorities to release Demirtas in order for him to campaign. Meanwhile the HDP announced their diverse group of parliamentary candidates, which included journalists, non-Kurdish individuals, and celebrities.
- The Turkish police arrested a former HDP nominee for a speech she delivered in 2015. The Turkish authorities also launched an investigation against Garo Paylan, an HDP lawmaker of Armenian origin. Turkey’s government wants to lift Paylan’s parliamentary immunity in response to accusations that he “insulted the Turkish nation”.
- Despite the government announcements of economic “growth,” the Turkish lira lost more value this week, reaching a record low 17% decline since the beginning of 2018.