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A weekly brief of events occurred in the Kurdistan regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- On Saturday, 15 June, Iran and Sweden brokered a prisoner-exchange deal. The exchange included European Union diplomat Jonah Floredus for Sweden. Iran received Hamid Nouri, a judicial official who had been convicted of war crimes and the wholesale execution of 5,000 dissidents in 1988. The Swedish hostages had been charged with and convicted of bogus charges, including espionage and collusion against Iran’s national security. Convicted war criminal Nouri received a hero’s welcome in Iran and quickly issued a terse warning to “terrorists, dissidents”: “I am Hamid Nouri, I am in Iran, I’m with my family…. Where are you despicable people? You said even God cannot release Hamid Nouri, and see he did.”
- Last week, Iranian forces cracked down on Kurdish activists, arresting many prominent figures. Heydar Fattahi, Mohammad Mohammadi, and Farid Badidest were recently arrested. They hail from different regions and districts. Many were detained over posts or demonstrations made in the wake of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s death in mid-May. None have been heard from since their arrest, and their detention locations are unknown. A report from the Hengaw Organization on Human Rights revealed that since May, Iran has detained over 140 individuals, 80 of whom are Kurdish.
- On 11 June, Iranian border forces critically injured 26-year-old Kurdish kolbar Arman Hosseini near Baneh. This incident marks the latest in a series of shootings against kolbars, who make a living by transporting goods into Iran. Their work is high-risk, involving traversing perilous terrain and exposure to hostile border guards.
Iraq
- On 13 June, Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, visited Iraq and met with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The officials discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them. Later, Bagheri visited the Kurdistan Region and met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials, including former President Masoud Barzani, President Nechirvan Barzani, and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. These meetings took place against a tense backdrop; Iran has supported radical militants attacking Kurdistan. However, Nechirvan Barzani’s recent visit has temporarily eased tensions between Tehran and Erbil.
- The U.S. Ambassador Tracey Jacobson testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She has been nominated to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq. During her hearing, Ambassador Jacobson stated that Iran-friendly militias pose the biggest threat to Iraq’s stability and sovereignty. She pledged that, if confirmed, she would use the U.S. ‘s policy tools to counter these militias and reduce Iran’s influence in the region. She also committed to preventing ISIS’s resurgence. Ambassador Jacobson emphasized the importance of the KRG and pledged to strengthen relations between Erbil and Washington, as well as between Erbil and Baghdad. Iraq’s government criticized Ambassador Jacobson’s comments, arguing that they reflect a lack of understanding of a “new Iraq” and amount to interference in Iraqi internal affairs. Nevertheless, a government spokesperson acknowledged that Ambassador Jacobson’s appointment could strengthen relations between the U.S. and Iraq. Ambassador Jacobson brings over 30 years of experience to the post, having served in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kosovo.
Syria
- For several weeks, terrorist attacks by ISIS (Da’esh) have intensified across the Syrian desert (Badia), including Deir Ez Zor. At least sixteen Syrian soldiers have been killed by a Da’esh minefield in Badia, an area known as the death triangle, lying between Raqqa, Homs, and Deir Ez Zor. Russia has launched several airstrikes, but this has not stopped Da’esh attacks on Syrian regime soldiers. In Deir Ez Zor’s Hajin subdistrict, Da’esh terrorists killed two members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday. This comes as the SDF released a confession video of two terrorists responsible for attacks. Moreover, at least four Da’esh terrorists were arrested by the SDF in Shaheel and Tel Hamis districts. In the US, an American terrorist named Abdelhamid Al-Madioum was sentenced to ten years in prison for fighting alongside the terrorist group in Syria and providing “material support.” According to the Justice Department, the terrorist joined Da’esh after flying from the US to Morocco and Syria.
- Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, renewed threats of invasion if the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration for North and East of Syria (AANES) pursues the local elections on August 10. The AANES has postponed the elections that were set for June 11 after immense pressure from the region and international powers, including disapproval from the US. Erdogan said his chief of spies, Hakan Fidan, held talks with his Russian counterpart and President Putin about the elections.
- The AANES released a statement against Qatar’s Red Crescent and Kuwaiti institutions for their role in the “demographic changes” in the Turkish-occupied Afrin region. Several settlements have been built on Kurdish lands and properties by Qatari and Kuwaiti organizations for displaced Arabs since 2018, when Turkey and radical Sunni groups occupied Afrin. The AANES emphasized that they will work on all levels in an “international investigation and hold accountable those involved in such unethical policies.” Separately, Turkish-backed factions continued infighting in Afrin, resulting in more casualties, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Turkey
- The co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Tülay Hatimoğulları, criticized the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, who has repeatedly called on the Turkish government to remove elected Kurdish mayors and officials. Hatimoğulları described Bahçeli as a “little partner” of power who should investigate the death of a leader in his party instead of engaging in anti-Kurdish actions. She also condemned the government’s actions following the removal of the mayor of Hakkari, who was replaced with a trustee after the building was surrounded by dozens of police and military personnel. “It is clear to the Kurdish people that it is not the laws of Turkey that will govern you; [Erdogan] is saying that the laws of our one-man regime, our Palace regime, are valid,” said Hatimoğulları, criticizing President Erdogan’s remarks after the removal of the Kurdish mayor. The DEM Party continues to rally and hold public events in the Kurdish region, raising concerns about the continued removal of elected Kurdish officials by the government.