Duhok court sentences PUK cadre to 7 years in prison

Kurdistan 11:57 AM - 2021-09-20

The Duhok Court has sentenced a cadre of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to 7 years in prison on Sunday.

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)'s Zakho Asayish has arrested Nazir Barwari, a member of PUK's Organization Committee in Zakho town of Duhok governorate, 7 months ago on charges of having contacts with the PKK.

Nazir Barwari's son Shivan told PUKmedia, that his father was arrested by the KDP Asayish on February 11 in the Drakar sub-district of Zakho district. 

"The Duhok court sentenced my father to 7 years in prison without any evidence which has even shocked the lawyers as well," he said.

PUK's Organizations Center in Duhok strongly condemned the court decision describing it as incorrect and a violation of the principles of law and justice.

Over a dozen of journalists and activists from Duhok (Badinan regions) are currently detained by KDP Asayish for various charges including spying for foreign diplomatic missions, sending sensitive information to foreign entities, and cooperating with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The families of the detainees say that the authorities don't allow them to see their sons. These trials also left local and international echoes and a wave of condemnation and anger, as well as serious doubts about the independence of the judiciary in the Kurdistan Region.

Black point in the freedom process of Kurdistan Region

For her part, Dr. Basma Muhammad, a human rights activist, told PUKmedia, that "the judicial authority is the highest authority, but what is unfortunate is that political parties have power over the judicial authority in the Kurdistan Region." 

"The political parties don't allow the judicial authority to work independently, and the Badinan cases have been very bad for the Kurdistan Region internationally," Muhammad said.

"What has been done by some courts in the past two years has had a very bad impact. It has even been condemned at the international level, which is certainly a black point in the freedom process of the Kurdistan Region," she added.

Meanwhile, PUK MP Shadi Nawzad, a member of the Social Affairs and Human Rights Committee in the Kurdistan Parliament, told PUKmedia, that "the current Badinan case and every previous Bidinan cases are completely illegal because according to the law, anyone who is arrested for a crime must be tried in six months." 

"However, in the past two years, all Badinan cases have been decided under the authority of a party. There are still many activists and journalists who have not been trialed after many months over their arrest, which is inexcusable and it's all illegal and shows us the authority of a party not the rule of law in that border," she said.

"During the past two years, there have been clear violations of human rights in the Kurdistan Region. The rates are very frightening... It seems that there will be no freedom of expression if it continues that way," she added.

The previous 5 Badinan journalists and activists case 

On April 28, the Kurdistan Region's Court of Appeal in Erbil upheld the six-year prison sentence against Badinan activists and journalists, Sherwan Sherwani, Guhdar Zebari, Hariwan Issa, Ayaz Karam, and Shvan Saeed who were arrested in October 2020. 

The court ratified the decision last June and closed the case. In its ruling, the court rejected the defendants’ claims of torture and other ill-treatment, citing lack of evidence, while confirming the charges brought against the five activists and journalists which include spying for the USA, Britain, and Germany, sending sensitive information to foreign entities and cooperating with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).  

The court's decision straight away resulted in condemnations locally and by foreign countries and international organizations. The US, Germany, UK, and Canada condemned the ruling of the court.  

Furthermore, international organizations, such as CPJ, and International Organization of Freedom and Human Rights, and Amnesty International that advocate journalists' rights and freedom of expression also condemned the court's decision. Political parties in the Kurdistan Region including the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Goran, also said that they viewed the verdict as an attack on freedom of expression.



PUKmedia