KRG Continues To Jail Its Critics

Kurdistan promoted itself as the “Other Iraq” which was supposed to be more stable and democratic than the rest of the country. In fact, the Kurdish ruling parties are just as autocratic as the rest. In August two prominent opposition figures were arrested on trumped up charges and a journalist as denied release.

 

On August 22 Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani sent the party’s counter terror force to arrest his cousin and former co-chair of the party Lahur Talabani in Sulaymaniya city. The raid happened at 3am and led to a three hour gun battle with Lahur’s security detail. 3 members of the security forces were killed and 19 wounded as a result. Supposedly there was a warrant out for Lahur for unnamed crimes.

 

After the passing of PUK leader and founder Jalal Talabani the party fell into disarray for years. Eventually, cousins Bafel and Lahur Talabani were named co-chairs. Unhappy with sharing power Bafel moved against Lahur in 2021 ousting him from power. Afterward Lahur founded the opposition People’s Front. It appears that Bafel is still unhappy with the situation and wants his cousin either imprisoned or exiled.

 

Just a few days before the PUK arrested Shaswar Abdulwahid the head of New Generation the main Kurdish opposition party. He was detained for defaming a former parliamentarian. The ruling parties continuously use defamation laws to go after their rivals. Abdulwahid was up for release but a court refused to let him go claiming he didn’t appear for earlier dates before a judge. New Generation has 15 out of 100 seats in the Kurdistan Regional parliament.

 

In between those two events former Bashur magazine editor Sherwn Sherwani was given a new prison term just before he was to be released. Sherwani was arrested in 2020 and jailed in 2021 for espionage and inciting protests. In 2023 he was given another sentence for falsifying signatures on a petition. Sherwani was among a number of journalists imprisoned for reporting on demonstrations in Kurdistan which have been occurring for years over government workers not being paid and the lack of jobs.

 

Kurdistan likes to say that it is freer than the rest of Iraq but the ruling parties act exactly the same. They do not tolerate opposition or criticism. Rival party leaders, members of the media and activists have repeatedly been jailed to silence them. The arrest of Bafel Talabani is the most blatant example of this trend as he comes from one of the leading families in the region. His arrest shows no one is safe if they break with the elite.

 

SOURCES

 

Agence France Presse, “Iraq's Kurdistan Region extends prison sentence for journalist,” 8/20/25

 

Aldroubi, Mina Mahmoud, Sinan, “Iraqi Kurdistan opposition figure Talabani arrested after clashes in Sulaymaniyah," The National, 8/22/25

 

Iraqi News, "Court in Iraqi Kurdistan extends custody of opposition leader," 8/22/25

 

Mahmoud, Sinan, “Prominent opposition leader in Iraqi Kurdistan arrested by security forces,” The National, 8/13/25

 

NINA, “Popular Front leader in Sulaymaniyah, Lahur Sheikh Jangi, arrested after clashes with security forces," 8/22/25