Father of missing Peshmerga believes son is held by Iraq

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The father of a Peshmerga taken captive by ISIS a year and a half ago has alleged his son and eight others are now imprisoned by Iraqi security forces and are facing execution. The Peshmerga ministry is looking into the matter.

“Nine Peshmerga are imprisoned at Muthanna airport, including my son named Hassan Mohammed Hashim,” said his father. “A death penalty verdict is issued against him.”

In June 2016, Hashim and 14 other Peshmerga were taken captive by ISIS in an ambush in Hamdaniya, south of Mosul. At least six of them were beheaded by the group.

Hashim’s father urged Iraqi President Fuad Masum and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to help free his son and comrades.

“How come you issued execution verdicts against the Peshmerga?" the father demanded to know, saying his son was "a captive and fought ISIS."

Rudaw cannot independently verify the father’s claims.

Hashim’s father also pleaded for international assistance.

“I am calling on the US Congress, Senate, the US president, the UN, Britain, Germany, and the countries to intercede and rescue captives being executed falsely by Iraq,” he said.

The Peshmerga Ministry has asked the families of the Peshmerga captives for details of their loved ones, including photographs, Chief of Staff Jabar Yawar told Rudaw.

He added that they will follow up with a formal letter to the Iraqi Intelligence Agency.

A total of 63 Peshmerga have either gone missing in action or were captured by ISIS militants since 2014.

Father of missing Peshmerga believes son is held by Iraq

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