UPDATED: Rojava Asayesh arrest political party leaders

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region-The Asayesh (Kurdish security forces) in the Grekelake sub-district of Qamishli in Rojava, northern Syria arrested two politburo and three executive leadership members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (PDKS) on Monday. Asayesh in Qamishli have also arrested the deputy leader of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (PYKS).

The Asayesh arrested 5 leaders and 13 other members of PDKS according to information obtained by Rudaw. The five leaders arrested are politburo members Mohammed Esmael, and Nashaat Zaza, and leadership committee members Nafih Abdullah, Abdulkarim Haji, and Salih Jamil.

 

Rojava Asayesh also arrested Hassan Salih, deputy head of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (PYKS), on Monday. He was arrested in Qamishli after the funeral of a Peshmerga from Rojava who had died in the Peshmerga's offensive south of Mosul on Sunday and Monday. 

Their arrests come two days after Ibrahim Biro, head of the Kurdish National Council (KNC, ENKS), was arrested by the Asayesh in Qamishli. 

Biro was released the following day, on Sunday. After his release, he was received by Masoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan Region, on Monday. In their meeting, Barzani condemned his arrest in Rojava and said “this PYD act is against democracy and is killing freedom,” according to a Kurdistan Region Presidency statement.

Barzani and Biro also stressed that “Banning political freedom and arresting politicians by the PYD is ugly and an uncivilized tradition. It’s against the Kurdish struggle and patriotism. This should be prevented and ended,” reads the statement.

After his release, Biro claimed to Rudaw that his arrest was politically motivated. “I think the reason for arresting [me] is our political activities, we as the KNC, our political activities,” he told Rudaw.

He added that he will not give up his work and he will go back to Rojava even if it means risking death. 
 
“I thank Mr. President [Barzani] and everyone who welcomed us,” he said, “But I promise that we will go back to Rojava and continue our work there.”