To the Human Rights and Civil Society

It is more than two months with a well-organised agenda from 13/8/2020 until present that the Kurdistan Democratic Party through the security forces of Duhok province in an undemocratic and out of the scope of the law action attempts to kidnap and arrest dozens of citizens, activists, tutors, journalists and dissatisfied citizens in Duhok province.

According to our statistics that we have during this period, 280 people have been kidnapped and arrested.

Many of have been released after their promises of being silence under threats and torture by the security forces, but (17) people’s fate are still unknown, according to an unofficial source they are in Sari Rash (Pirmam) Salahuddin.

We demonstrate this dangerous process through several points.

Firs: this arrest with no planned process is due to the increase in the number of dissidents in Duhok province, because the salary always delayed and the services are not good and the freedom situation is bad.

They were also brutally arrested (journalists, activists, teachers) without a court order.

Particularly, the abduction of a teacher (Shawan Saeed) in front of the eyes of five children, three daughters’ psychological is unstable, while there was no any crime or even participation in the protests. Their relationships and lawyers still have not been permitted to meet the detainees. That is why the political motives behind it are to silence the voices of civil dissatisfaction. This is a threat to the democratic process in Duhok province and the Kurdistan Region generally.

Second: Legally, the Kurdistan Region has the protest law number (11) and the journalism law (35), and the Iraqi constitution contains article 38 of the Right to Protest and different Opinion. The security forces are cracking down on dissidents under Iraq's separatist law, kidnaps people and accusing of unjustified threats such as the PKK and disrupting peace against activists. The Kurdistan Regional Security Council (KRG) is also arresting people under partisan and law-abiding decisions, because the council is made-up five members. In a statement, this issued on 26/10/2020 scribbles and indictments statement that accuses activists such as sabotage and terror indirectly and misleads public and foreign opinion.

The other three members of the council on the same day rejected the statement issued by only two members of the KDP, as by the Regional Security Council, but these three members are not aware of it and they state that a political motivation. All other parties of the government and oppositions reject that statement except the KDP.

Third: We suspect that these activists and journalists would be tortured threaten of unreal expression and confession (because people have already been tortured in the past). Without any court order, mobile phones and belongings of detainees and their children's education iPads have been seized and taken. Detainees have been threatened by misuse their family and private photos. This arrest process against dissatisfy people is on continuing. The process also prevents people automatically of expressing their civil and legal expression therefore they may think of revenge through violence because the sociological structure of the area is tribal, so this is dangerous and the authority is responsible. Because of the points we have indicated, we request you to take immediate action to ensure the detainees should be released and this dangerous process would be stopped. Therefore, the democracy process is at risk in the Region of Kurdistan.

First list:

The names of the civil detainees of Duhok province:-

Sherwan Sherwani (journalist) Duhok 07/10/2020

Shevan Saeed (tutor and activist) Duhok 22/10/2020

Guhdar Zebari (journalist) Akre 22/10/2020

Ayaz Karam(journalist) Duhok 22/10/2020

Hariwan Isa (activist) Semel 22/10/2020

Badal Barwari (activist) Duhok 18/08/2020

Umed Baroshki (activist) Duhok 18/08/2020

Second list:

The names of a group of civil political activists:

Masud Shangali (tutor) Duhok 30/08/2020

Seleman Kamal Hariki (tutor) Akre 06/09/2020

Seleman Musa Zebari (activist) 06/09/2020

Saleh Abduljabar (tutor) Shiladze 20/08/2020

Jamal Khalil Sendi (professor of university) Zakho 04/09/2020

Bandawar Ayyub Rashid (activist) Duhok 04/09/2020

Pahlawan Adel Banavi (activist) 04/09/2020

Karkar Abas Ali Rustinki (activist) Duhok 04/09/2020

Wallat Gawda (activist) Zakho 09/09/2020

Dr. Amer (tutor) Duhok

٭Due to the continuing process, we believe that the number of prisoners is much higher, but these names are some of the prisoners that are well known.

The relationship of the detainees of Duhok province

01/11/2020