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A weekly brief of events occurred in the Kurdistan regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- Iraqi border guards killed a Kurdish border porter (kolbar) near Nowsud and wounded two others on Monday. According to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Hoshyar Mahmoudi was traveling with a group of other kolbars that were not carrying any cargo when Iraqi border guards shot him. Iraqi border guards previously tortured six kolbars and shaved their heads before releasing them near Tawela on Saturday. Iraqi authorities began cracking down on kolbars after Baghdad and Tehran reached a security agreement in the summer of 2023. On the Iranian side of the border, Iranian border guards killed a kolbar and wounded nine in Nowsud and Baneh.
- Iranian intelligence officers (Ettela’at) killed a 20-year-old Kurdish woman from Lorestan in a vehicle and severely wounded the driver. Hengaw reported the Ettela’at personnel were wearing civilian clothes when they asked the victims to stop and exit the car. The driver attempted to flee because he did not know who the men were, which caused the Ettela’at officers to open fire. Separately, the Iranian regime arrested a number of Kurds, including seven in Piranshahr, six in Bokan, three in Naqadeh, and a Kurdish singer in Ilam. Subsequently, Islamic Revolutionary Courts sentenced a female Kurdish activist named Gulala Watendost to six years and seven months in prison in Marivan and another named Bayan Farajullah to one year in prison in Senna. Another court sentenced a Kurdish man named Yadullah Shakri to six months in prison in Delawan for “disseminating propaganda.” Meanwhile, a Kurdish prisoner named Amir Shahbazi committed suicide by taking pills after a court sentenced him to prison and the amputation of his fingers for “theft.” Lastly, Kurdistan Human Rights reported the Iranian regime executed another five prisoners last week.
Iraq
- Multiple protests against the Iranian missile attacks that targeted Erbil on January 15 erupted in cities and towns across Iraqi Kurdistan. Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated there was an “urgent need for accountability” after the strikes killed four civilians and wounded six. “Impunity for Iran’s killings of civilians will only embolden more unlawful attacks in the future,” said HRW’s Sarah Sanbar. At the same time, Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs filed a complaint regarding the attacks with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan Masrour Barzani also canceled a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian at the Davos Forum in protest. Further, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qassem al Araji led delegations from the Iraqi Council of Representatives’ Security and Defense and Foreign Affairs committees on a tour of the sites struck by Iranian ballistic missiles in Erbil and emphasized the baselessness of Iranian claims the missiles targeted a Mossad base. Additionally, Rudaw released a report revealing that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fabricated images and videos of the victims and used them to justify the attacks. Iran’s state-owned Press TV eventually removed the images and attempted to distance itself from them. Additionally, the US, United Nations, and various European officials have condemned Iranian attacks. This follows ongoing rocket and drone strikes targeting the US presence in Iraq, orchestrated by Iranian-backed militias. A recent rocket attack on Ain Assad air base in western Iraq injured several service members. “Most of the missiles were intercepted by the base’s air defense systems while others impacted on the base. Damage assessments are ongoing. A number of U.S. personnel are undergoing evaluation for traumatic brain injuries. At least one Iraqi service member was wounded.” Read a statement by the U.S. Central Command. On Thursday, the U.S. defense system thwarted a militia drone attack near the Erbil international airport, resulting in no casualties or damages.
Syria
- The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported an ISIS rocket attack on al Sina prison, targeting the “Caliphate Cubs” section and causing minor injuries to some detainees. The attack aimed to free terrorists but was thwarted by the SDF. In late January 2022, a similar attack by ISIS resulted in the release of dozens of terrorists before the SDF regained control.
- On the sixth anniversary of the Turkish military invasion in Afrin, the Autonomous Administration for North and East of Syria (AANES) labeled Afrin as a case of genocide, urging the international community to form fact-finding committees. The AANES highlighted ongoing demographic changes, kidnappings, and crimes by Turkey and its Syrian proxies. Recent reports by the Afrin Human Rights Organization detailed an assault on a Kurdish elderly farmer by Turkish proxies, causing serious injury. Additionally, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported the arrest of three Kurds, including two women, by armed factions for collaborating with the former Kurdish administration.
- Initial media reports indicate that US airstrikes near Albu Kamal, between Iraq and Syria, targeted cargo trucks and armories of militias, resulting in the death of several militants. The SOHR reported “consecutive explosions” in munition warehouses caused by the airstrikes.
Turkey
- The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM Party), a pro-Kurdish group, strongly condemned an assault by Turkish district mayor Burak Akeller on a Kurdish Imam during Friday prayers. The Mayor attacked the Imam over a misinterpretation of parts of the prayers related to deceased Turkish soldiers, labeling the Imam as a “terrorist” and physically assaulting him. The mayor garnered significant support from ultra-nationalist Turks on social media. The Imam, speaking to Duvar Gazete, expressed feeling offended and clarified that his mistake was a human error. The DEM Party has called for the immediate dismissal of the mayor and urged him to issue an apology. The incident reflects a concerning trend of rising hate crimes against the Kurdish population, fueled by government actions that tarnish the Kurdish image. In a separate incident on Tuesday, Turkish authorities arrested an 83-year-old woman and her daughter-in-law during a home raid, citing “investigation” as the reason for their detention.