Introduction

Since mid-August 2020, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has witnessed a widespread mass and popular protest campaign, organised by a group of civil society activists, including teachers and journalists, from various segments of society. They demanded an end to political and financial corruption, improvement of public services, respect for the rights of employees and the payment of salaries that have been delayed for many months due to the continuing financial and economic crisis afflicting the region and Iraq, which in turn led to the deterioration of the living conditions of all citizens. However, the security authorities, instead of responding to the demands of the people, launched a widespread campaign of arrests against civil society activists.

In Sulaymaniyah Governorate, many activists were arrested, but all of them were released after a short period. More than 50 activists were arrested in Dohuk Governorate, and dozens were arrested in Erbil Governorate during the past three months. A number of them have been released at different times, but some of them are still in prisons run by the Asayish forces (Internal Security). Journalists who covered the protests were targeted with excessive force, and a number of them were arrested. The security forces destroyed the equipment of external broadcasts for a number of television channels, a number of which were prevented from covering the demonstrations.  

This report by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) documents human rights violations related to the popular protests in Iraqi Kurdistan.

False charges brought against detained activists

The authorities laid false charges against detained civil society activists, including undermining national security, attempting to overthrow the Kurdistan Regional Government, and insulting local authorities.

Ill-treatment of detainees

During recent months, the authorities did not allow the families of detainees, who are held collectively in the Asayish General Prison in Erbil, to visit them, and even their team of volunteer lawyers was not allowed to meet them in prison. This constitutes a clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).  

On 22 December 2020, the team of lawyers defending the detained activists was able to visit five detainees in the Asayish General Prison in Erbil, including teacher and civil society activist Badal Abdulbaghi Barwari, for the first time since his arrest on 18 August 2020. Also, on the same day, teacher and political activist Mullah Shafan Saeed Omar Brushki, the official in charge of the Dohuk branch of the Alliance for Democracy and Justice, called his family for the first time since his arrest on 22 October 2020, and assured them of his health.

On 06 January 2021, for the first time, the authorities in Erbil governorate allowed families to visit detainees, many months after some of them were arrested. The authorities have not yet set a date for the next visit.

A list of names of detained activists      

The list below includes the names of detained activists (including their arrest date) from the Governorates of Dohuk and Erbil who have not been released by the security authorities so far: