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A weekly brief of events that occurred in the Kurdish regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- From April to September of 2018, the Iranian regime executed six Kurdish political activists. On September 18, António Guterres, the United Nations General Secretary submitted a report about the human rights situation in Iran. The report addresses the “unfair trials” against the Kurdish activist Ramin Panahi who was executed later after being tortured by the regime. The report also includes the detention of Kurdish citizens who were tortured and killed after their arrest for participation in protests against the regime in January 2018. Meanwhile, on September 18, a debate took place at the Human Rights Council about Iran. During the session, the Le Pont organization highlighted the crimes by the Iranian regime against the Kurds. It also called upon the Human Rights Council to look into the crimes and urged Council Member States to protect the Kurdish people from crimes against humanity.
- A Kurdish border porter (Kolbar) was shot and killed by the Iranian border guards near Chaldaron district near the Iranian-Turkish border. The Iranian human rights organization, Hengaw reported 14 injuries and one dead in one week among the Kolbars due to shots fired directly by the Iranian regime forces. The recent Kolbar who was killed was 30 year old Neamat Heydaranlo.
- Mohedeen Ibrahimi, a Kurdish activist from Oshnaviah (Shino) was sentenced to death by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court for “membership of a Kurdish party.” According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK), Ibrahimi was shot and detained in November 2018 near a village in Oshnaviah.
Iraq
- The two ruling parties in Kurdistan region – The Democratic Part of Kurdish (KDP) and The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) – did not reach an agreement on a nominee for Iraq’s Presidency. The KDP nominated Fuad Hussien the former chief of staff of the Kurdistan region, while the PUK announced Barham Salih as the party’s nominee after his return to PUK from the newly formed Coalition for Justice and Democracy (CDJ). Two separate Kurdish delegations of the KDP (led by Nechirvan Barzani) and PUK (led by Salih) headed to Baghdad and held talks with the political parties in attempts to win support for their candidates. Meanwhile, members of other Kurdish parties have also registered as candidates. The planned Parliamentary session on September 25 to elect the President was postponed to October to allow more time for the parties to reach agreements and to hold the session after the KRG’s Parliamentary elections on September 30.
- On September 18, a U.S. delegation visited the Kurdistan region and held meetings with several Kurdish parties and discussed the formation of the next Iraqi Government. The delegation included Brett McGurk, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman. The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also called the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani. “They discussed the latest political developments in Iraq, including the process of the election by the parliament of the new Iraqi president and the formation of the new government,” said a statement issued by the KRG. Both the U.S. and Iran are racing in Iraq to have a friendly Iraqi government as they engage the Kurdish parties who play a major role in forming the next Iraqi cabinet.
- On the first anniversary of the Independence Referendum, a large rally took place in Sami Abdulraham stadium in Erbil. Thousands participated in the rally organized by the KDP, while the former President of the Kurdistan region Massoud Barzani delivered a speech.
- After several cases of torture and abuses by the Federal police against several Kurds in Daquq district in Kirkuk, the Iraqi interior minister launched an investigation for the allegations. Prior to that the PUK block in the Iraqi Parliament denounced the federal police actions and called for investigations. Since October 16, 2017, Kirkuk is facing Arabization waves after the federal security forces took control of the province and removed the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
- After orders from Iraq’s Prime Minister to isolate Kirkuk from the Kurdistan region, two customs checkpoints have opened up to tax goods and vehicles entering Kirkuk Province from the Kurdistan region cities. In a press conference, Abadi’s representative military affairs spokesman, a share of the customs will be for Kirkuk and the federal government.
- The Turkish government has extended the flight ban between Turkish cities and Sulaymaniyah international airport for three more months. Previously the Turkish ruling party accused the PUK of supporting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Sulaymaniyah. However, flights between Erbil international airport in the Kurdistan region and Turkey continue to take place.
Syria
- The U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued their advances to liberate the last pocket of ISIS-held area near the Syrian-Iraqi border on three fronts. On Thursday, September 20, the SDF completely liberated the town of al Baghuz Fawqani after clashes with several ISIS members who were still residing there. The same day the SDF announced the elimination of 31 ISIS terrorists in two fronts of the military operation: al Baghuz Fawqani and Hajin cites. On September 23, the SDF announced the killing of 11 ISIS terrorists by al Sousa front. Heavy clashes occurred by al Shajla village northeast of al Baghuz Fawqani which resulted in SDF advancing and the seizing of weapons from the terror group. According to the SDF media office statements, the SDF have eliminated more than 100 ISIS terrorists. During the past week, tens of U.S. air raids took place to support the ground troops of the SDF. A local head of the newly established camp for the displaced people has complained about the lack of support by the international aid organizations amid increasing numbers of the Internally Displaced People (IDP) due to the battles taking place.
- Upon his arrival to New York City to participate at the U.N. General Assembly, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to expand the Turkish military incursions to east of Syria. “God willing, in the period ahead we will increase the number of secure zones in Syria,” stated Erdogan. Prior to his speech, a video taken by the Kurdish forces near the border of Tal Abyad (Gire Spi) shows a large presence of the Turkish forces near the Syrian-Turkish borders. Unlike the Afrin region (where Turkey has invaded the Kurdish region last March), the eastern side of Syria is controlled by the SDF and thousands of U.S. troops are stationed there.
- After plans by Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations Special Envoy to Syria to set up committees formed by international and regional powers to draft a new constitution for Syria, a Kurdish official of the Syrian Demotic Council (SDC) rejected any constitution that is not written by Syrians. “The Syrian constitution, on which the countries have been working on, does not represent us, and was supposed to have all the Syrian parties involved in writing its draft,” said Ilham Omar a senior SDC official, in an interview with Hawar News Agency. The Kurdish officials have been excluded from the participation of drafting the new constitution due to Turkey’s opposition since 2012.
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) released more records of violations against Kurdish citizens committed by the Turkish-backed Jihadi groups in Afrin region. According to SOHR, two Kurdish citizens have been killed under torture by the “Olive Branch” militants. The recent SOHR report acknowledges that 800 people from Afrin are still under the detention of the armed groups controlling Afrin. Further, some of the arrested people can be released by ransom payments that could reach millions of Syrian Liras.
Turkey
- After Diyarbakir last week, the governorate of Siirt Province declared curfews in Eruh district as a Turkish military launched an operation against the PKK. The Turkish military also started a military operation on a large scale in several areas by Mount Cudi near Shinak province. Pro-Kurdish media reported fires have started on Mount Cudi caused by Turkish airstrikes. Fires have also started on Zel mountain in Nazimmiye district-Tunceli Province (Dersim) believed to be done by the airstrikes against PKK activities.
- During her hearing in court, Figen Yüksekdağ, former co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) said she is proud of participation in a Kurdish rally. In her defense, Yüksekdağ criticized the situation of Turkey and described the country as being in crises: ”[Turkey] has at its core a crisis of justice. And if it continues in this way this justice crisis will grow bigger and it could end up being a source of social tension.” Yüksekdag was sentenced to one year in prison last year for “insulting the Turkish government” during a speech in 2015.
- After a release of a prominent Turkish opposition lawmaker from prison, the HDP is seeking to appeal the Turkish court on the same basis for their jailed lawmaker Leyla Guven. The lawyer of Guven said that her client should be released “as per the verdict issued” to the lawmaker of the Republican People’s Party (CHP).