Dilshad Mirani, a civil society activist and member of the Teachers’ and Employees’ Association in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, played a key role in organising peaceful protests demanding overdue public-sector salaries and opposing corruption and mismanagement. On 21 June 2025, a coalition of educators announced plans for a peaceful demonstration on 26 June 2025. On 24 June 2025, Dilshad Mirani and fellow organiser Othman Kulbi were summoned by the Internal Security Directorate and detained for two days before being released on 26 June 2025. Mirani previously served as a spokesperson during hunger strikes in early 2025, declaring “The era of unpaid work is over” and warning authorities of a potential cessation of the academic year unless salaries were paid promptly. As a representative, he also participated in negotiating with federal authorities about salary delays as late as December 2023.