18
A Digest of Events in the Kurdistan Regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- On November 10, 2023, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Varisheh Moradi, a prominent Kurdish activist and women’s rights advocate, to death on charges of “armed rebellion” linked to her alleged membership in the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK). Currently imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, Moradi has endured harsh conditions, including torture, prolonged solitary confinement, and severe mistreatment since her arrest in August 2023. In protest of her unjust sentence, Moradi initiated a 20-day hunger strike, as reported by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. Moradi joins Zeynab Jalalian as the second Kurdish woman facing the death penalty in Iran. At the same time, four other Kurds, including one from Iraqi Kurdistan, were sentenced to death on charges of “espionage for Israel.” The Iranian regime also extended the prison sentence of Kurdish activist Ahmedreza Haeri from three years and eight months to six years and three months. The Elam native was charged with disrupting “national security.” Simultaneously, three Kurds from Shinno were each sentenced to sixteen months in prison for participating in a protest marking the second anniversary of the death of Kurdish woman Zhina Amini. Meanwhile, authorities continued crackdowns on Kurdish activists. Recent detainees include four Kurds, among them a child in Swallawa, a local journalist in Saqqez, and three others in Mehabad.
Iraq
- The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has announced a curfew from 12:00 AM on November 19th until 12:00 AM on November 21st for the Census. During this period, movement will be restricted, with exceptions for essential and emergency situations, as well as travel within districts, provinces, and between urban and rural areas. The Iraqi Census, which includes the Kurdistan Region, has raised concerns among the Kurds. However, Baghdad has agreed that the census will not replace Article 140 of the Constitution, which calls for a referendum in disputed territories to determine whether residents wish to join the Kurdistan Region or remain under Baghdad’s control. This agreement follows a 2010 ruling by the Supreme Court, ensuring that the census will not serve as a substitute for the referendum outlined in Article 140.A Kurdish official warned that the former Kirkuk administration moved 600,000 Arabs to the city, establishing nine new neighborhoods. While the Census does not include questions about ethnicity or sect, Kurds are concerned that it will classify many people as natives of Kirkuk, contrary to the Constitution’s call for the normalization of demographic changes imposed by the former Iraqi regime. Separately, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani visited the Kurdistan Region, holding meetings with top officials in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. Discussions focused on resuming oil exports, implementing court rulings on employee salaries, and forming a new Kurdistan government following recent elections. Al-Sudani also engaged with opposition leaders during his visit.
- Iraq’s cabinet has approved a proposal to compensate oil companies in the Kurdistan Region at $16 per barrel to restart halted oil exports. Previously, Iraq’s federal budget law had allocated only $6.90 per barrel for production costs, a figure that caused disputes with producers in the Kurdistan Region. Subject to parliamentary approval, this new measure aims to resolve disagreements with Baghdad over oil pipeline rights. The Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) welcomed the proposal to amend Article 12 of the Budget Law, stating it may address their requests regarding commercial terms and payment guarantees for past and future exports via the Iraq-Türkiye Pipeline. APIKUR affirmed its readiness to engage in discussions with officials from the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to clarify details and finalize agreements before resuming oil exports through the pipeline. Kurdistan’s oil exports have been halted since March 2023, costing Iraq nearly $21 billion in revenue after Baghdad won an international arbitration case against the KRG’s independent oil exports via Turkey.
Syria
- The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) completed Operation Enduring Security, a seven-day operation targeting ISIS cells in al-Hol city, its surrounding areas, and the al-Hol camp. Supported by international coalition forces, the operation involved 5,000 fighters, covering over 200 villages along the Syrian-Iraqi border. It resulted in 79 ISIS arrests, the dismantling of multiple hideouts, and the seizure of weapons. In the al-Hol camp, which houses 40,000 ISIS-linked individuals, the forces thwarted ISIS attempts to reorganize and uncovered evidence of extremism, including torture-related killings. The SDF stated the operation had been delayed in the past due to Turkish aggression and called for international support to address humanitarian and security challenges in the region. On November 11, a terrorist bombing targeted a vehicle in Hasakah, killing three members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including two war-wounded fighters and the driver. The explosion, believed to have been remotely triggered, occurred near the Al-Salihiya neighborhood. The attack comes amid ongoing SDF operations to eliminate Da’esh cells in the region.
- The Crisis Cell responsible for Lebanese returnees, formed by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), announced that a total of 20,369 individuals have entered the region from Lebanon. The breakdown is as follows: 7,549 men, 6,228 women, and 6,470 children. Of these, 94 individuals hold Lebanese nationality, and 28 are stateless. The returnees are either returning to their homes or staying with relatives in the region. For those without a place to go, the administration has designated shelters for their accommodation. Since the escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, many Syrians have left Lebanon and come to the DAANES areas, driven by fears of the Assad regime, which has displaced the most people.
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported multiple cases of civilians being arrested and released in exchange for ransom payments in Turkish-occupied Afrin. In one case, a civilian from Qarrah Kol village was freed after his family paid a $5,000 ransom, four months after being detained by military police in Jendires for unknown reasons. Similarly, a civilian from Jowaiq village was released for $2,500 by Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah after attempting to cross into Turkey. Another civilian was freed after paying a $600 fine for attempting to obtain an ID in Afrin. These incidents are part of ongoing violations in the Turkish-controlled “Olive Branch” area, contributing to growing public frustration.
Turkey
- Thousands of Kurds across the Kurdish region and several Turkish cities protested the government’s recent removal of three Kurdish mayors from Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti. In response, the government arrested at least 253 individuals. The removal of elected Kurdish mayors has been a recurring issue, with international organizations condemning it for undermining local democracy. The pro-Kurdish DEM Party initially boycotted parliament for a week and later submitted a petition to halt the appointment of trustees to the municipalities. Filed with the administrative courts in all three provinces, the petition highlights the November 4 decision, emphasizing the DEM Party’s electoral victories and the people’s preferences in these areas. The party also denounced the government’s actions as a “coup.” This development coincides with calls from Turkey’s ruling parties for a new “peace process” with the Kurds, which Kurdish officials have described as contradictory. “Trustee administrations undermine democratic representation and the democratic functioning of local governments. The central authority’s overstepping of democratic local will and popular will creates social distrust, a governance crisis, and erodes local democracy,” read a statement from the DEM Party. Following the March 31 municipal elections, the DEM Party won in 8 Kurdish provinces, and so far, the government has removed five elected Kurdish mayors.