‘Strike until death’: Duhok activists, journalists announce hunger strike as second hearing adjourned
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The second hearing of four Duhok activists and journalists was adjourned to October 4 on Monday, prompting them to go on a hunger strike until their cases are resolved, a lawyer told reporters.
The second hearing of four Duhok detainees that was supposed to be held on Monday was adjourned to October 4 “due to changes in the head of judiciary and two other members of the court” who hadn’t looked into the detainees cases yet, Bashdar Hassan, one of the lawyers on the case, told reporters outside of court on Monday.
“The detainees are very frustrated, they feel very dejected,” said Hassan, adding upon the announcement of the adjournment by court “they decided to go on strike and they said they won’t break it.”
“All four Badinan detainees announced a ‘strike until death’ and asked those present at court to tell the outside world,” Kamaran Osman, a civil rights activist and a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) told reporters on Monday.
The lawyer said the detainees had complained about mistreatment by local security forces (Asayish) and that they are not allowed to see their families and lawyers which is a violation of their rights.
“According to what they told us, their situation is very bad, the treatment of Asayish members - according to what they told us - is very bad [...] They are detainees in their hands, they shouldn’t treat them like that. They are sons of this land,” said Hassan.
The trial of Masoud Ali Haji, Sherwan Taha Amin, Karger Abbas Ali and Bandawar Ayub began on July 12. They were accused of forming a group to support current Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and establishing a political party with Iraqi President Barham Salih to “undermine” the stability of the Kurdistan Region, but their lawyer said “no evidence” against them was presented in court.
Hassan noted that the accusation of creating groups to sabotage security of the Region, among other charges “is not true.”
“For example, they say they have proposed projects to the US consulate to sabotage the security of the Kurdistan Region. Their project was integrating Yazidi women back into society. I don’t know where the sabotage is in this project?”
According to the lawyer and the rights activists, the mother of one of the detainees had passed away on Saturday. She had tried to see her son in prison the day before.
“They didn’t even let her see him from behind the window,” said Osman. Hassan said Amin wasn’t told about his mother’s death.
“We believe the Badinan detainees, or any other detainee, whatever crime they have committed, should have the right to see their families. Let them see their lawyers,” the CPT member said, calling on officials and the judiciary to “revise the case and obtain freedom for the Badinan detainees.”
Hassan said not letting them do so is against “human rights and the Iraqi constitution.”
The four detainees were among several people arrested during anti-government Duhok protests last year. In February, five journalists and activists - Sherwan Sherwani, 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, as well as diplomatic representatives in the Region.
Erbil’s appellate court upheld the original ruling in May. Several foreign missions have criticized the court's decision.
The trial of another five men from Duhok, Amer Khalid Agid, Frsat Ahmad, Jamal Khalil, Suleiman Kamal, and Suleiman Mousa, held on security charges was also adjourned on July 13 after hearing statements from the accused and witnesses. According to parliament members who attended the trial and said there was no proof of the alleged crime.
The second hearing of four Duhok detainees that was supposed to be held on Monday was adjourned to October 4 “due to changes in the head of judiciary and two other members of the court” who hadn’t looked into the detainees cases yet, Bashdar Hassan, one of the lawyers on the case, told reporters outside of court on Monday.
“The detainees are very frustrated, they feel very dejected,” said Hassan, adding upon the announcement of the adjournment by court “they decided to go on strike and they said they won’t break it.”
“All four Badinan detainees announced a ‘strike until death’ and asked those present at court to tell the outside world,” Kamaran Osman, a civil rights activist and a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) told reporters on Monday.
The lawyer said the detainees had complained about mistreatment by local security forces (Asayish) and that they are not allowed to see their families and lawyers which is a violation of their rights.
“According to what they told us, their situation is very bad, the treatment of Asayish members - according to what they told us - is very bad [...] They are detainees in their hands, they shouldn’t treat them like that. They are sons of this land,” said Hassan.
The trial of Masoud Ali Haji, Sherwan Taha Amin, Karger Abbas Ali and Bandawar Ayub began on July 12. They were accused of forming a group to support current Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and establishing a political party with Iraqi President Barham Salih to “undermine” the stability of the Kurdistan Region, but their lawyer said “no evidence” against them was presented in court.
Hassan noted that the accusation of creating groups to sabotage security of the Region, among other charges “is not true.”
“For example, they say they have proposed projects to the US consulate to sabotage the security of the Kurdistan Region. Their project was integrating Yazidi women back into society. I don’t know where the sabotage is in this project?”
According to the lawyer and the rights activists, the mother of one of the detainees had passed away on Saturday. She had tried to see her son in prison the day before.
“They didn’t even let her see him from behind the window,” said Osman. Hassan said Amin wasn’t told about his mother’s death.
“We believe the Badinan detainees, or any other detainee, whatever crime they have committed, should have the right to see their families. Let them see their lawyers,” the CPT member said, calling on officials and the judiciary to “revise the case and obtain freedom for the Badinan detainees.”
Hassan said not letting them do so is against “human rights and the Iraqi constitution.”
The four detainees were among several people arrested during anti-government Duhok protests last year. In February, five journalists and activists - Sherwan Sherwani, 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, as well as diplomatic representatives in the Region.
Erbil’s appellate court upheld the original ruling in May. Several foreign missions have criticized the court's decision.
The trial of another five men from Duhok, Amer Khalid Agid, Frsat Ahmad, Jamal Khalil, Suleiman Kamal, and Suleiman Mousa, held on security charges was also adjourned on July 13 after hearing statements from the accused and witnesses. According to parliament members who attended the trial and said there was no proof of the alleged crime.