ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Kurdistan Region has come under fire for its treatment of protestors, activists, and journalists in Amnesty International’s annual human rights report released on Wednesday.
The watchdog says that Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) security forces “violently dispersed protests and arrested scores of protesters,” in the report, which documents the state of human rights in 149 countries.
At least 167 government employees, teachers, activists, and journalists were detained by security forces in Duhok in May after organizing a protest against the government’s failure to pay public sector salaries on time, which was violently dispersed, says Amnesty.
“The KRG initially said it had dispersed the protest because the protesters had failed to obtain a permit to hold the event, but subsequently cited COVID-19 measures as the reason. All those detained were eventually released on bail. However, in August, one of the protest organizers was arrested along with his son from their home.”
Protests against unpaid public sector salaries in Sulaimani were also met with “excessive force leading to the death of tens of protesters, some as young as 17. Authorities also arrested and released several activists and journalists, while also severely restricting the internet and banning press coverage of the protests.”
In a Wednesday statement to Rudaw English, Dindar Zebari, the KRG's Coordinator for International Advocacy, said "people are constitutionally and legally allowed to protest" as long as they "remain legally bound and follow some procedures in the benefit of common good and avoid violence and vandalism."
Speaking of protests last year in Duhok and Sulaimani, Zebari said "detrimental objects and weapons were utilized by some protesters to twist the peaceful demands, public and private properties were destroyed, and casualties occurred both from the protesters and law enforcement officers. Nevertheless, rule of law was preserved and legal proceedings were taken transparently. "
Amnesty mentioned the closure of the Erbil and Duhok offices of NRT on August 20 after their coverage of protests by truck drivers in Zakho against a decision to allow Turkish trucks to enter the Kurdistan Region, noting the confiscation of “equipment and beating and arresting journalists.”
“On 7 October, local police and KRG security forces raided the home of journalist Sherwan Sherwani in Erbil and arrested him at gunpoint without explanation,” added the report. He was later charged with “endangering public safety” under the Iraq Penal Code.
"No journalist has been arrested arbitrarily," Zebari said. "As far as the press in the Kurdistan Region is concerned, Journalism Law No. 35 of 2007 regulates freedom of journalism and expression. Meanwhile, the journalists are responsible for protecting national security and, simultaneously avoiding the defamation of particular institutions without necessary evidence."
The report also accused the KRG of continuing “to prevent Arab IDPs” from returning to their hometowns in disputed territories.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) in July also criticized the KRG for “preventing about 1,200 Arab families from returning home” six years after the area was retaken from ISIS, which in contrast have allowed Kurds to return to Duhok.
This comes after the US State Department in late March criticized the Region’s security forces saying they act with “impunity”, while noting the government’s treatment of refugees and internally displaced people, as well as its progress in trying to combat violence against women.
Yazidi rights
Iraq and the KRG have both fallen short of guaranteeing the rights of Yazidi survivors of the Islamic State (ISIS) group and their children, according to the report.
“Many were unable to re-enroll in school and faced barriers to obtaining new or replacement civil status documents essential for accessing basic rights in Iraq. Psychosocial services and programmes available to them fell short of meeting these children’s rights and needs.” Zebari said the KRG extended a "helping hand" to the community "without discrimination."
The Iraqi parliament in March passed the Yazidi Survivors bill which offers restitution solely to Yazidi women who disproportionately endured severe abuse in the hands of ISIS. The law passed also applies to other ethnic and religious minorities, particularly Turkmen, Shabak, and Christians of both sexes.
Updated with Zebari's comments at 5:36pm
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