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A weekly brief of events occurred in the Kurdistan regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- Several protests erupted in various cities, including the Kurdish city of Kermanshah, as well as Isfahan, Ahwaz, and Shush, denouncing the social security laws and dismal living conditions on both Sunday and Monday. The demonstrations were coordinated by labor unions representing diverse industries, including steelworkers, public employees, nurses, oil company workers, and municipal employees. In parallel, security forces, particularly the border guards, intensified their crackdown on Kurdish border porters (kolbar), resulting in the deaths of two individuals, including a teenager, and the injury of over a dozen near Baneh, Nowsud, and Urmia. Additionally, two kolbars tragically succumbed to freezing temperatures in Piranshahr and Urmia.
- The U.S. Department of State condemned Iran’s deceptive execution process targeting Kurdish singer Saman Yasin. Yasin, who has been imprisoned by the Iranian regime for over a year following the Zhina Amini’s uprising last year, faced a fake execution as part of psychological pressure tactics due to his song against the regime. The Farsi Twitter account of the U.S. Department of State emphasized, “The use of mock executions, torture and death sentences without a fair trial not only violate human rights, but also go against basic respect for human dignity.” Yasinn is now confronting a life sentence following the annulment of his execution sentence, awaiting a retrial.
- On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights published a special report revealing that the Iranian regime executed 16 women, with 128 female activists sentenced to varying prison terms since the beginning of 2023. Meanwhile, authorities arrested two Kurdish men in Naqadeh and Baneh, while the fate of dozens of others remains unknown since their detention in the past weeks across the Kurdistan Region.
Iraq
- Following claims by Iranian-backed militias of an attack on a US facility at Erbil International Airport on November 22, a security official rebuffed the militia’s claims to Rudaw. In response to militia attacks on Ain al Assad base, involving the use of drones and mortars on US forces on two separate occasions last week (Wednesday and Thursday), the US conducted airstrikes. The retaliation resulted in the death of eight militants from the Iraqi branch of Hezbollah. Notably, there have been no further attacks on the US since the truce deal between Hamas and Israel.
- A delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) journeyed to Baghdad, engaging in discussions with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani. The talks centered on Kurdistan’s budget, specifically addressing public employee salaries and the resumption of oil exports. The KRG is urging the federal government to disburse 2.1 trillion Iraqi dinars for the months of October, November, and December to cover these salaries. It remains uncertain whether Baghdad will consent to the release of Kurdistan’s budget.
- Regarding the provincial council elections in Kirkuk, the Iraqi Supreme Court has postponed a verdict following discussions on Sunday. The Turkish-backed Turkmen Front and Sunni Arab parties had filed a lawsuit seeking the postponement of the elections, aiming for a “review” of voters’ registration due to concerns about potential Kurdish victories. Despite these concerns, the Head of the media team at the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), Imad Jamil, affirmed to Shafaq News that Kirkuk’s voter registry process was completed in a legal manner. The Kurdish majority Kirkuk province has been under the governance of an acting governor since 2017.
Syria
- The Syrian Arab Army’s Fourth Division maintains a blockade on the Kurdish-majority area of northern Aleppo countryside, jointly governed by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the Assad regime. The Fourth Division has a history of imposing blockades and levying fees on goods entering the area, including fuel. The blockade has led to the shutdown of public transportation and schools due to fuel shortages, and there are concerns about potential disruptions to water sources and bakeries. The blockade particularly affects around 100,000 internally displaced people from Afrin who fled following Turkey’s invasion of northwest Syria in 2018.
- The Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish), Rojava’s main police force, have arrested four individuals allegedly linked to the Syrian regime. These individuals are accused of engaging in sabotage and insurgency against the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). The arrested men were found in possession of weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, three hunting rifles, a grenade, knives, and ammunition. The AANES-held portion of Deir ez-Zor has experienced instability and insurgency, primarily instigated by pro-Iran and pro-Assad forces, following an Arab tribal rebellion in the summer. This unrest has involved bombings, assassinations, and gun attacks on SDF personnel, coupled with artillery and mortar attacks from Syrian government and Iranian forces across the Euphrates river.
- According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), ISIS (Da’esh) attacks in the Syrian desert over the past month have resulted in the deaths of 67 pro-Assad government forces. Thirteen ISIS militants are also believed to have been killed, reportedly due to Russian air attacks. The main centers of violence include Homs, Deir ez-Zor, southern Raqqa, and Aleppo. These attacks follow a pattern of successful ISIS incursions against pro-Damascus forces, posing a persistent threat despite the territorial defeat of ISIS by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The extremist group continues to pursue an insurgency to restore its “caliphate” and gain control over the region.
Turkey
- The spokesperson for the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (HEDEP) has announced the party’s intention to change its acronym. This decision follows objections from one of Turkey’s top courts due to its resemblance to the dissolved People’s Democracy Party (HADEP), accused of ties to the PKK. The party aims to avoid complications ahead of the upcoming March local elections by modifying its acronym to comply with the court’s concerns. The HEDEP is the successor to the Green-Left party, under which candidates from the historically pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) ran in 2023, amid the HDP’s threat of closure by the Turkish government. Despite facing pressure and hostility from Turkish authorities, the HDP/Green-Left Party aims to regain popularity after performing below expectations in the recent elections.
- Turkish police detained 98 people, primarily from the Kurdish region, in a single day, with the interior ministry alleging their links to the outlawed PKK. Most of the detainees are accused of disseminating “pro-PKK propaganda” on social media. This follows a pattern of escalating anti-Kurdish actions both within and beyond Turkey’s borders. Turkey has increased bombings and violence in Kurdish Syria and Iraq in recent months, along with numerous mass arrests of Kurdish activists accused by the government of PKK connections.
- Several Kurdish political prisoners in Turkish jails have declared a rotational hunger strike, advocating for the release of Abdullah Öcalan and a political resolution to the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. The strike is scheduled to continue until February 15, 2024, marking the anniversary of Öcalan’s capture and return to Turkey from Kenya. This action is part of a broader transnational campaign drawing attention to Öcalan’s imprisonment conditions on İmralı Island. Despite his limited ability to communicate with the outside world, Öcalan remains a crucial figure in the collective consciousness of Kurds worldwide, and advocacy for his freedom remains a central aspect of pro-Kurdish politics.