Presidential decree reducing sentences of Duhok detainees put into motion

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The decree from Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, reducing the sentences of five detained Duhok activists and journalists, has been put into motion, a lawyer to the case said on Tuesday.

“The decree from Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to reduce the sentence of Badinan detainees was sent to Erbil’s second criminal court today and was put into motion,” Bashdar Hassan told Rudaw, adding that four detainees except Sherwan Sherwani will remain in prison for only five to six more months.

The decree from Barzani came late last month, and according to a copy of the decree obtained by Rudaw, the sentence of Sherwani is to be reduced by 50 percent while the four other sentences will be reduced by 60 percent, meaning that Sherwani will spend another eight months in prison.

In February 2021, Sherwani along with Shvan Saeed, Ayaz Karam, Hariwan Issa, and Guhdar Zebari were put on trial for “endangering the national security of the Kurdistan Region.” They were found guilty and sentenced to six years in jail, prompting outcry from media watchdogs and human rights groups.

The appeal court upheld the ruling in May and in June, saying the men had intended to “target sensitive areas and establishments in the Kurdistan Region.”

The five were among dozens of people arrested during anti-government protests over unpaid wages in Duhok in 2020. They were accused of forming a group to support Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and establishing a political party with Iraqi President Barham Salih to undermine the stability of the Kurdistan Region.

Amnesty International at the time slammed the appellate court’s decision, releasing a call to action in the form of a letter to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Coordinator Office for International Advocacy, Dindar Zebari, calling on the KRG to “immediately” release the five detainees.

“I urge you to immediately and unconditionally release Sherwan Sherwani, Guhdar Zebari, Hariwan Issa, Ayaz Karam and Shvan Saeed, immediately take all steps to ensure their unjust conviction is quashed or overturned, and ensure a prompt and effective investigation into the
allegations of torture and other ill-treatment with a view to holding perpetrators accountable and providing redress to them,” read the letter from Amnesty International, which served as a template for people to send to the KRG representative.

"The Kurdistan Regional Government is fully committed to the rule of law, to a fair and impartial legal process, and to the freedom of the media," read a statement from Zebari sent to Rudaw in May.

As the sentences of the five journalists were reduced, the trial of Berivan Ayoub, another Duhok detainee has been adjourned twice despite being held without charge for over 16 months.