DUHOK, Kurdistan Region—The family of Kurdish journalist Widad Hussein whose body was found in Duhok on Saturday have accused the city’s security forces of murdering him for his work, but security officials deny the charge and claim to have started an investigation into his case. Darband Hussein, the journalist’s brother told Rudaw that he believes his brother was killed by the Duhok security forces for his connection with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the fact that he worked for a news service affiliated with the group. “Since the day he joined the PKK Widad was summoned by the security service about ten times, the last time was three months ago, and they asked him each time to quit the PKK and work for them instead,” Darband said. “On the last summoning they had told him that if he did not stop working for the PKK they’ll transfer his file to the general security.” “So we really suspect that the security service has killed him,” he added. The dead body of 28-year-old Hussein was found on Saturday in the village of Seje near Duhok, and according to his family he had worked with Roj News, a PKK-affiliated website, until ten days before his death. Darband said that he saw signs of torture and mutilation on his brother’s body. “When I went I saw Widad’s body lying there. They had assassinated him in a cruel way. They had cut off three of his fingers, broken his leg and both of his eyes popped out.” Darband told of the moment he visited the morgue upon a call from the police. Duhok security services have denied any connection with Hussein’s murder. “We have no connection with that incident whatsoever,” a Duhok security official told Rudaw. “On the contrary, we are very concerned about what happened because it affects the security situation here.” The security official who did not want to be named, urged Hussein’s family to go to the court and file a case against anyone they suspect of killing the journalist. Darband explained that his brother had been a PKK supporter for six years and had attended many of the group’s activities and ceremonies in Sulaimani and Garmiyan region “but he had never traveled to other parts of Kurdistan,” Hussein who was also an employee of the Duhok Cultural Department was described by Sabri Salih, one of his colleagues, as “a very calm person who didn’t say much. He would just focus on his work and never interfere in anyone else’s.” Eyewitnesses at the scene of Hussein’s abduction told Rudaw that he was stopped and taken away by two armed men at around 10 a.m. in Malta neighborhood as he was driving in his car. “Two cars blocked Hussein’s car back and front, and two men one of whom had white hair stepped out of one of the cars, put a pistol to his head, dragged him out of his car and put a black mask on his head and took him away,” Muhammad, a shopkeeper who witnessed the scene told Rudaw. Muhammad who thought the moment “was more like a movie” added that the abductors told bystanders “do not worry, it is nothing. This man has hit and killed a child with his car.” PKK media outlets describe Hussein as one of their journalists and have since his death published multiple news reports about him. However, a relative of Hussein told Rudaw that he had quit working for the PKK media ten days before his death and that a theory is that the PKK itself might have killed him. “Hussein quit working for Roj News ten days before his death and some believe that the PKK might have killed him, suspecting him of having turned and working for the security service,” a relative of Hussein told Rudaw on condition of anonymity. The relative thought that Hussein’s death might be political. “He did not have any social problems and never had a quarrel with anyone, therefore we believe his murder was preplanned and for political reasons,” he said. Vian Abbas, head of the Duhok Journalists Syndicate told Rudaw that Hussein was not a member of the syndicate “but like any other journalist we have started our investigations to find out more information about his case.”
