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Iran
- The Iranian regime’s campaign against Kurdish political activity continued last week. On Wednesday, Iranian intelligence officers (Ettel’aat) arrested three Kurds from Mehabad named Soran Mokhtari, Omed Abbasi, and Soran Nasri. Ettela’at also arrested a Kurdish man named Rebwar Padast on Thursday in Goiak Tapa village near Mehabad. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities raided the home of a Kurdish man named Omed Mustafapour in Naghadeh on Friday and detained him. The Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK) claimed Mustafapour’s arrest was illegal. Finally, in Saqqez, Iranian security forces arrested a Kurdish lawyer, Ali Sakani, who represents a Kurdish political prisoner sentenced to death.
- The Islamic Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj sentenced a Kurdish activist named Farhad Mohammadi to six years in prison for “crimes against the national security.” Mohammadi is a lawyer and was arrested in November of 2017.
- The coronavirus continues to impact prisons in Iran’s Kurdish region and has infected more than 100 inmates in Urmia Prison, including a female political prisoner named Sohila Hijab. Though the Iranian regime has granted some prisoners leave to reduce overcrowding and mitigate the virus’s spread, it continues to jail hundreds of Kurdish political prisoners.
Iraq
- On Thursday, a delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Peshmerga met with Iraqi Ministry of Defense officials in Baghdad to discuss the creation of joint operations centers in the disputed territories of Kirkuk, Ninewa, and Diyala. Initial reports indicate the Government of Iraq has tentatively agreed to the establishment of the centers, as a high-ranking Peshmerga commander told Rudaw that a delegation from the Iraqi Ministry of Defense will visit Erbil to finalize the arrangement.
- Turkey intensified its military operations in Iraqi Kurdistan last week, as Turkish air and artillery strikes hit several districts along the Iraq-Turkey border near Sheladze, Amadia, Zakho, and Bradost. The Government of Iraq responded by calling for Turkey to end its military operations that “override and violate the sovereignty and stability of Iraq.” Iraqi border guards were even deployed near Zakho to stop Turkish advances. That said, Turkey continued to claim its operations target the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), though they have killed dozens of civilians, displaced thousands more, and penetrated as deep as 40 kilometers into Iraqi Kurdistan.
- The coronavirus pandemic continues to intensify in Iraqi Kurdistan, as the region confirmed approximately 1,600 new cases last week. Iraqi Kurdistan’s official coronavirus numbers now stand at 4,587 confirmed cases, 263 deaths, and 2,789 recoveries. Meanwhile, Erbil has taken additional steps to mitigate the virus’s spread and now requires all visitors to quarantine for 48 hours before entering the city.
Syria
- Turkey continued to build military bases and outposts in northeastern Syria last week, and its Islamist proxies stepped up their campaign of attacks targeting areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near Ain Essa. Rocket attacks damaged property in Hoshan and Khaldia villages and struck a civilian truck on Sunday. Turkey’s most recent moves follow an online meeting between the presidents of Iran, Russia, and Turkey to discuss Syria. The three nations concluded the meeting by releasing a joint statement consisting of fourteen points that included a call for US troops to leave Syria and an agreement to stand against the unnamed Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East of Syria (AANES). Unconfirmed Kurdish reports suggested the existence of an agreement to marginalize the SDF and replace them with the Syrian Arab Army. At the same time, Russia remains opposed to the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the region via the Iraqi border crossing of al Yarubia and stated it will only accept the delivery of aid through Turkey. The Russians previously vetoed the use of al Yarubia crossing at the United Nations Security Council, but the US and other nations continue to push for its reopening.
Turkey
- Turkish authorities continued their crackdown on Kurdish political activity by arresting nine members of the Youth Assembly of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) last Tuesday. Likewise, three more people were detained in Ankara when they gathered to commemorate the 1993 Sivas massacre of Alevi Kurds. Finally, in Batman, Turkish police arrested the city’s co-mayor Songül Korkmaz and a number of council members after denying them access to their offices.
- A Turkish court in Diyarbakir (Amed) sentenced a former Kurdish politician and lawmaker named Songül Korkmaz to six years and three months in prison for “membership of an illegal organization.” Korkmaz was a senior member of the Democratic Society Congress (DTP) in Hakkari. At the same time, the Kurdish former co-mayor of Van Province’s Edremit District, Rojbin Chetin, remained in custody after the Turkish government extended her detention to “collect evidence.” Chetin was arrested last week after being removed from her position and was tortured during a raid on her home. Finally, a Turkish court in Erzurum sentenced two senior members of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), Bermal Birtek and Ergin Balta, to ten years and six months in prison.