SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — New Generation leader Shaswar Abdulwahid appeared in court in Sulaimani on Sunday after being summoned on supposed charges of defamation and insulting state employees.
Abdulwahid founded Nalia Media Group that owns NRT. After forming New Generation in 2018 prior to the Iraqi parliamentary election, he said he no longer runs the media organization.
“We respect the law and appear in front of the court. We don’t believe we have done anything wrong. We haven’t broken the law," Abdulwahid told a reporter outside of a police station in Sulaimani.
“It is a source of pride for me that this order has been issued to me. Right from the beginning, we knew the path we have taken involves arrest, torture, and even murder,” Abdulwahid added.
The judge who issued the arrest warrant handles Asayesh (Security)-related cases, according to a source close to New Generation.
“The head of the New Generation Movement Shaswar Abdulwahid has been summoned to Sulaimani’s court of investigation on two cases. One of them was filed by Sulaimani airport’s police station is in accordance with Article 229 [of Iraqi penal code], which concerns assault on state employees while on duty,” judge Omar Ahmad, the spokesperson of the court, told Rudaw.
Iraqi penal code states the penalty for violation of Article 229 shouldn't be more than two years or a fine of not more than 200 dinars.
The second suit was filed by a civilian, the spokesperson added. It alleges Abdulwahid violated Article 434 which concerns defamation. The spokesperson explained the judge has discretion in sentencing. Its penalty is not more than a year and 100 dinars.
The Iraqi penal code was adopted in 1969 which the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) follows. Most judges calculate the fines based on the change in the value of the dinar.
NRT reported that Abdulwahid does not know who filed the lawsuit against him.
“They say state employees, such as Asayish [security]. But we still don’t know the details,” he told NRT.
Hawraman Sajadi, a prominent Kurdish activist accompanied Abdulwahid to the police station and then to the court.
"We believe that the charges are political. He should be afforded bail," Sajadi told Rudaw English. Abdulwahid is being held at Salam Base’s prison in Sulaimani initially for 24 hours.
New Generation blamed the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) for the "politically motivated arrest warrant."
"Totally fabricated and politically motivated. PUK is responsible for any political developments as a result of their interference in judicial affairs," added New Generation.
The judiciary has been used “for many years” to further the authority of “party and family rule”, New Generation said in a statement Sunday.
“We, as the New Generation Movement, condemn such usage of the judiciary in political affairs.”
“We call on both authorities [KDP and PUK] not to use the judiciary to settle legal issues or a political case. This is a very bad thing,” it added.
The movement will undertake all legal efforts, if “civil moves” are not available to them, it said, adding the PUK is “responsible” for Abdulwahid’s life.
New Generation’s bloc in the Iraqi parliament issued its own statement, claiming the judiciary has been “stripped of its will" and is being used to imprison political opponents.
It called on Iraqi federal authorities to put pressure on the Kurdistan Region’s authorities to halt their alleged interference in judicial affairs.
Abdulwahid’s posts on social media over the last year have been used to build a case against him to “give the appearance that it is a legal matter, not a political matter,” the bloc said.
As the laws under which Shaswar have been arrested are not severe, he should be released immediately after giving his statement before the judge, it added.
The defamation lawsuit was filed by an employee of the Azmar Company of the Nokan Group, a company thought to be owned and operated by the PUK’s financial office.
New Generation hopes Abdulwahid will be released on Monday.
The KDP and PUK will face a similar fate to Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president, if they continue disrespecting the rule of law, the party warned.
New Generation is an upstart political party in the Kurdistan Region and in Iraq. It won eight seats in the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary election on September 30 in the 111-seat legislature.
Last updated 5.30 p.m.
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