494
Iran
- The Iranian regime continued its crackdown on Kurdish political activity last week. In Kermanshah, an Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced four Kurdish activists to nine months in prison for “propaganda against the Islamic Revolution” and “membership of Kurdish parties.” The activists, Ardashir Moswi, Mustafa Ashna, Shahryar Tahmaspi, and Arslan Hidaiti, were initially detained by Iranian intelligence officers (Ettela’at) three months ago. Also, in Kermanshah, Iranian authorities arrested a prominent female Kurdish attorney and activist named Suhaila Hijab on Saturday. Concurrently, Ettela’at officers detained three more Kurds in Urmia. Finally, seven members of the Kurdish Union of Teachers received sentences ranging from three to five years in prison for social activities in North Khorasan Province.
- Five Kurdish border porters (Kolbars) lost their lives at the hands of Iranian and Turkish authorities last week. On Sunday, Iranian border guards attacked a group of Kolbars near Urmia, killing a Kolbar named Arsalan Ahmedi and wounding two others. In Mako, near the Iranian-Turkish border, Turkish forces ambushed a group of Kolbars on Thursday, killing a Kolbar named Qadir Yadsara and injuring three. Yadsara is the second Kolbar killed by the Turkish forces in two weeks. At the same time, the Kurdish Human Rights Association (KMMK) reported Iranian border guards wounded four Kolbars near Nowsud last Tuesday. Meanwhile, a Kolbar from Oshnavieh (Shinno) named Safar Afkan was killed on Wednesday, while Iranian security forces opened fire on a vehicle carrying smuggled cargo near Saqqez and killed a Kurdish man. Iranian authorities also wounded two more Kolbars near Sardasht, bringing the total number of Kolbar casualties in 2020 to 22 killed and 53 wounded.
Iraq
- The Government of Iraq agreed to provide the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) with funds to pay the salaries of its employees for the month of May. The KRG will now send a delegation to Baghdad to resume talks regarding the KRG’s share of the Iraqi budget and the payment of government salaries in future months. Prime Minister of Kurdistan Masrour Barzani responded to these developments by saying, “Recently, a KRG delegation visited Baghdad three times to negotiate a deal on these issues. The dialogue will continue until we reach a fair and constitutional solution to these problems.” Iraq’s Kurdish parties previously voted to approve the new Prime Minister of Iraq Mustafa al Kadhimi.
- A Kurdish police officer was found decapitated on Sunday in Kirkuk city. The slain officer’s family claimed ISIS (Da’esh) terrorists were responsible for the atrocity. Da’esh also committed additional arson attacks targeting Kurdish farms south of Kirkuk. Iraq’s Ministry of Defense finally responded to the continuing uptick in attacks on civilians and security forces by deploying additional personnel to bolster security and launching a military campaign targeting Da’esh operatives in the region. The region, known as the “Disputed Territories,” has been plagued by a deteriorating security situation since Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed militias removed the Peshmerga after the Kurdish independence referendum of 2017.
- According to the KRG Ministry of Health, six more coronavirus cases were confirmed in Erbil last week. The total number of active cases in Iraqi Kurdistan now stands at 94, while 403 have recovered from the disease so far. That said, Iraq’s total number of coronavirus cases reached 4,632 last week, and its death toll now stands at 163. Meanwhile, travel between provinces remains restricted, and international air travel is limited to cargo and a small number of government-approved flights.
Syria
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) accused Turkish-backed jihadists of perpetrating several arson attacks against Kurdish-owned farmlands in Kobane, Ain Essa, Zagran, and the Christian town of Tel Amer that destroyed several hundred acres of crops. Simultaneously, Da’esh terrorists set fire to additional farmlands in Deir ez Zor Governorate.
- Infighting took place between Turkish-backed jihadists from the Division 20 and Eagles of North organizations near the occupied Kurdish town of Sari Kani (Ras al Ain) on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East of Syria (AANES) received 365 more people from Turkish-occupied Tal Abyad after conflicts between Turkish-backed Islamist groups caused the town’s security to deteriorate and displaced additional residents.
- Approximately 100 Da’esh brides held a pro-Da’esh protest calling for the return of the “Caliphate” in al Hawl camp on Sunday. Al Hawl camp, which houses approximately 40,000 Da’esh relatives from Syria, Iraq, and a plethora of other nations, has been plagued by a continuing spate of assaults, terrorist attacks, and escape attempts.
- Syria’s M4 highway, which had been shut down for seven months due to Turkey’s October invasion of northeastern Syria, was reopened to civilian traffic last week. The highway’s reopening was the result of an agreement between the AANES and Russian forces.
- US Department of State advisor William Robak visited northeastern Syria and informed Kurdish officials that the region will be exempt from any proposed sanctions outlined in HR 31, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019.
Turkey
- On Wednesday, Turkish police raided a gathering of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Ankara and made numerous arrests. The raid preempted a planned HDP press conference intended to denounce the Turkish government’s ongoing removal and replacement of elected Kurdish mayors. A similar raid targeted the HDP headquarters on Thursday and prevented members from reading an official statement. Likewise, Turkish authorities detained 12 HDP members in Diyarbakir (Amed) and accused them of “membership in a terrorist organization.” Meanwhile, the HDP accused the Turkish government of “using the pandemic as an opportunity to reinforce its authoritarian rule.”