ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani is set to dispatch a high-level security delegation to Sulaimani to probe the circumstances surrounding the recent deadly clashes and subsequent arrest of Kurdish opposition figure Lahur Talabany in the Kurdistan Region’s eastern province, a senior security official told Rudaw on Monday.
Rudaw has also learned that the delegation will be led by Iraq’s National Security Advisor, Qasem al-Araji.
Speaking to Rudaw on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, the top security source said, “Prime Minister Sudani will send a high-level security delegation to Sulaimani in the next few days to follow up on the events that unfolded.”
The senior source noted that the delegation's visit aims to gather information and assess the situation following the recent tension, adding that Baghdad is “closely monitoring the events that took place in Sulaimani, and all our efforts were aimed at calming the situation so that it would not get out of control.”
Kurdish opposition figure Talabany, who leads the opposition People’s Front (Baray Gal) party and is the former co-president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), was detained on Friday following violent clashes between his armed loyalists and local security personnel.
According to official figures, the four-hour confrontation resulted in the deaths of three security officers and injuries to 19 others. Rudaw also learned that at least one of Talabany’s loyalists was killed.
Talabany was arrested along with one of his brothers and an unspecified number of others. Initially charged under Article 56 of the Iraqi Penal Code for criminal conspiracy, he now reportedly faces additional charges, including premeditated murder.
In the wake of his arrest, the Iraqi government on Friday called for adherence to the principles of neutrality and transparency, stating that “law enforcement must be carried out in a manner that ensures the preservation of human dignity and the protection of rights.”
A statement from Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for Prime Minister Sudani, stressed that “the interests of Sulaimani province, the security and safety of its people, and the security of the [Kurdistan] Region and Iraq in general remain above all considerations.”
Importantly, the Presidency of the Public Prosecutor in the Kurdistan Region on Monday issued a statement tasking its office in Sulaimani with following up on the latest events to ensure “the rights of everyone are safeguarded within the framework of the law and the constitution.”
Emphasizing that "everyone must abide by the law,” it urged all executive authorities to be diligent when carrying out court orders, ensuring they "observe the legal and constitutional principles of protecting the lives and dignity of citizens, safeguarding public and private property, and upholding the rights of the accused as stipulated in the law and the constitution."
It further cautioned media outlets and social media users to handle the situation responsibly and “avoid further complicating the situation.”
