5 April 2011: Torture, Arrests and Instability in Iraqi Kurdistan

·         After a heavy torture and 3 days arrest, Waleed Hama Khalid, an undergraduate and photographer of Halabja Fine Arts Institute is released from jail. His uncle claims that he is “HALF DEAD”. The person who was in charge of the torture was “Mumble Goran” (from Lvin, Hawlati and Standard websites)

·         See the below video on how, last night, Suleimany Asaysish attacked the home of the Islamic Cleric who led a Friday Prayer at the Suleimany Freedom Square.  (from Hawlati website and youtube.com)

·         The Temporary Committee of Suleimany Freedom Square asks for immediate resignation of Kurdistan President, KRG and Kurdistan Parliament. (from various sources)

·         The Organizing Committee for Demonstration in Erbil on Thursday, 7 April 2011, claims that the Governor’s Office is trying to bypass the local law in replying to them through delaying acknowledgment of receipt of their demand by 24 hours (various news sources).

·         Arresting the Islamic Religious Leaders who gave speeches in the Suleimany Freedom Square were through instructions of both Massoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani. (from Standard website)

·         Today, 5 April 2011, the leaders of the 3 opposition Kurdish parties will meet to discuss how to react collectively to the negligence of the Kurdish authorities to their joined statement of 3 March 2011. (from Standard website)

·         Michael Rubin to Suleimany Freedom Square Demonstrators: “America did not spend billions of dollars and sacrifice more than 4,000 Americans to enrich Kurdish Leaders and Minister of Oil. We did not seek to replace a big Saddam with a little Saddam”. (from Standard website)

·         An arrest order is issued for the former Suleimany Governor, Dana Majeed. Goran Opposition party considers it as a political action against its members. (from Lvin website)

·          Now, the 2 leading parties in Iraqi Kurdistan do not consider “dismantling the current government” as a non-negotiable point. (from sbiey website) 4 committees will be formed to return the public assets to the government, one committee in each of the 3 governorates and one in Garmyan will be formed (from Rwdaw website).

·         Erbil authorities do not let Suleimany passengers of a German Flight get into Erbil International Airport. The German Plane had to land in Erbil airport due to a sandstorm in Suleimany. All passengers were transported in 5 buses by road to Erbil, the checkpoint didn’t allow passengers to get into the city (from Awena website).

Ban arresting, warning and insulting Religious Leaders

Hawlati Website: Suleimany Governorate Council asks that Security Forces should ban arresting, warning and insulting Religious Leaders.

2 journalists were arrested for few hours in Erbil

Hawlati Website: While undertaking their professional duties to cover the demonstrations of about 70 students in front of the University of Salahaddin in Erbil, 2 journalists from Hawlati Paper and Nawa Radio were arrested for a few hours by the policemen. “They looked at our camera and the leader gave us some bad words” one of the journalists said.

Demonstrations boomed in Erbil

·         Hawlati Website: Today, 4 April 2011, at 1:00 PM , a demonstration stared in Erbil, Salahaddin University. Security forces are not letting the journalists to cover the event!

·         Hawlati Website: The Kurdistan Parliament cancelled its today’s meeting, 4 April 2011. The parliament present wanted to make it a regular meeting to discuss regular law makings while the opposition members wanted to discuss the immediate demands of the demonstrators.

·         Hawlati Website: Suleimany Security Office started a campaign for arresting the Muslim clerics who are leading the Friday prayers in Freedom Square. Mulla Kamaran Ali is in custody for the last 4 days. Mulla Nasrulah, the first who led Friday prayers for demonstrators, was arrested yesterday, 3 April 2011, and another one escaped the arrest as he was not at home when a security forces attacked his home. Security forces didn’t have arrest order from the court for their operations of yesterday.

·         Hawlati Website: Suleimany University students are warning the authorities to release the students who have been arrested for the last 2 days and not to arrest anyone without court orders.

·         Peyamner Website: In his meeting today, 4 April 2011 with KRG ministers, Massoud Barzani said: We should not mix the demands of the people with the demands of the opposition parties. What people are asking for during their demonstrations are normal requests that we should do our best to achieve. Meanwhile, we should not go by what the opposition parties want to oppose. The situation in Kurdistan is different from what is going on in Arab countries, we took over office through elections.

·         Lvin Website: Last Friday, one member of the Temporary Committee for Ranya Freedom Square was tortured by Zeravani Forces (Halgurd Troops, led by Salam Abdulrahman, Kurdistan Democratic Party’s Commando Forces) while he paid a personal visit to his hometown. He was told if he talks about his visit and torcher he will be killed in future.

·         Peyamner Website: European Union opened a Representative Office in Erbil on 3 April 2011. Its main task would be governance!

·         Standard Website: Talabani told his party’s followers at Erbil branch:

o   The 2 Islamic parties agreed to meet him and Nechirvan Barzani in Iran. When he and Barzani arrived there the 2 parties didn’t come. Therefore, as revenge, we will arrest their active members!

o   The demonstration will start in Erbil too, I ask you to help Barzani’s party to take over.

o   It is true that US asked us not to shoot the demonstrators, but we were not shooting them even before they ask us.

o   Iran promised us that it will not support the 2 Islamic parties anymore.

·         Standard Website: Mulla Kamaran will be released tomorrow and will give a speech at the Freedom Square in Suleimany. The Cleric was arrested under the anti-terror code as he considered the current demonstrations be a true Jihad.

·         Awena Webiste: Koya students are banned from entering Erbil through Degala checkpoint.

·         Awena Webiste: Iran forces are bombarding Kurdistan Region’s boarders near Choman.

·         Awena Webiste: 7 injured in today’s college students’ demonstrations on the main road of Kalar. Demonstrators were forced to vacate the area after being attacked with mask wearing forces.

Massoud Barzani withdrew from his promises to leave office

Source: Lvin Number 157 of 1 April 2011

·         Mr. Massoud Barzani stated in front of the Italian Media that if 50,000 people ask him to leave the office he will do so. So far, a campaign under title “Mr. President, I’m not accepting you as my president” that was initiated by some undergraduates from University of Suleimany were able to collect over 60,000 signatures. They have forwarded a message to Barzani’s office and are ready to officially handover the signatures to him. He is not responding! Also, Lvin’s website collected signatures through its website, people were able to electronically vote only once. They were able to collect over 130,000 signatures from people asking Barzani to leave the office.

·         On 11 March 2011, the president of Kurdistan Region put his political position under question when he accepted to give a speech to people whom were holding yellow (his own party) and green (Jalal Talabai’s party) flags.

·         Mr. Barzani failed even in forming an Institutional Presidency Office for Iraqi Kurdistan. His office is still part of his palace, within his home’s boundaries.

·         Mr. Barzani’s biggest failure was his inability to supervise forming national institutions within the Kurdistan Region.