ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's federal court on Tuesday upheld a decision to dissolve three political parties because of alleged links with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The court rejected an appeal from Hussein Hajji Nafso, president of the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party.
In early August, the Iraqi judiciary’s electoral authority ordered the dissolution of the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party, the Democratic Struggle Front, and the Kurdistan Society's Freedom Movement (Tavgari Azadi), alleging that they have ties to the PKK. It was ordered that the parties’ offices be closed and their finances seized.
The decision followed a request by the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) and is part of Iraq's recent move to ban the PKK.
The federal court's ruling on the appeal concluded that “upon reviewing the appealed decision, it was found to be correct and in accordance with the provisions of the law for the reasons on which it was based.”
In an earlier appeal, Tavgari Azadi co-chair Tara Hussein said her party is independent, with no links to the PKK, and that the decision to close it was based on “false information.” That appeal was also rejected.
Under Iraqi law, political parties are prohibited from affiliating with or following directives from foreign entities, and cannot cooperate with banned organizations.
In March, the Iraqi National Security Council banned the PKK from operating in the country, following a high-level security meeting with a Turkish delegation and ahead of a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq.
The PKK is an armed group that has struggled for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey for decades. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara, which has launched numerous operations against the group and its alleged offshoots in the Kurdistan Region and Syria.
Hemin Baban Rahim contributed to this report.
