Security forces in Sulaimaniya Northern Province have conducted a large-scale operation of arrests and violations against journalists, political activists, teachers, employees, and parliamentarians following an attempted demonstration in the city on Thursday morning, June 26.
The two-day campaign has expanded today and coincided with the deployment of forces in the main streets of the city where the demonstration was expected to begin.
Earlier in the week, teachers and civil servants of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held a press conference to announce a demonstration against the non-payment of their salaries. They had not received their May salaries while their colleagues in the middle and south of Baghdad have been paid for June as well by the Iraqi Federal Government in Baghdad.
The security committee of Sulaimaniya province issued a statement on June 24th calling for the demonstration to be postponed “due to the sensitive situation in the region.”
They expressed support for the timely payment of salaries to employees and teachers, acknowledging that their protests had been heard by authorities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq KRI and the federal government.
Following the announcement, security forces initiated a campaign of intimidation against the organizers of the demonstrations, many of whom were teachers.
This came after several opposition parties expressed their willingness to participate in the demonstration.
At least 13 members of the Halwest Movement, including five in front of its headquarters in Sulaimaniya, were arrested by Asayish (security forces). The movement questioned why the security situation allowed for smuggling but not peaceful demonstrations.
“The ruling parties must know that the situation has reached a stage where our people will no longer demand their rights peacefully, but the people will react differently,” Lahur Jangi, leader of the People's Front and former co-president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK, said while receiving a group of teachers and employees.
"Our people will have a different reaction against the leaders of these (ruling) parties, then we will be at the forefront of comprehensive change.”
The security forces arrested at least 13 members of the Halwest Movement, four seats in the parliament of Kurdistan, five of whom were in front of its headquarters in Sulaimaniya, the movement said in a statement.
"Why is the security situation favorable for smuggling, but not for demonstrations?" Ali Hama Salih, leader of the Halwest Movement, told a news conference on Wednesday.
"Our colleagues wanted to demand their rights and all Kurdistan state employees in a civil manner," the movement said in a statement.
The KRG, which constantly accuses the federal government of not sending salaries, has taken no practical steps to distribute salaries in its last meeting held on Wednesday, June 25, only stressed that they will review the revenues and expenditures.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has once again accused the Iraqi government of not sending the salaries.
The Iraqi government has suspended talks with the (KRG) on the salaries of its employees for nearly a month, saying the region has not complied with the remittance of domestic revenue, which is one of the conditions for sending salaries.
Security forces were deployed in the streets of Sulaimaniya on Thursday, resulting in the arrest of journalists and confiscation of their equipment. Several journalists were detained, violating their rights as outlined in the KRI Press Law.
Zoom TV, owned by the People's Front, led by Lahur Jangi, reported that two teams had been arrested while trying to cover the demonstrations.
The demonstrations were scheduled to be held in front of the Sulaymaniyah education departments.
Payam TV, affiliated with the Justice Group, reported that a team of journalists from the Halwest Movement, four employees of the Sepeda TV team, two journalists from the Moral Agency, a female journalist from the Diplomat Agency and several freelance journalists were arrested.
Karwan Anwar, Secretary of the Sulaimaniya Branch of the Kurdistan Union of Journalists, said in a statement that a number of journalists were arrested. “Following our inquiry and call for release, a decision has been taken to free them after lunch.”
The violation against journalists comes at a time when according to the first paragraph of Article 7 of the Press Law, published in 2007, journalists are independent in the performance of their professional duties and there is no censorship authority except the rule of law.
Article 4 of the same article states that "journalists have the right to attend press conferences and public activities.”
Meanwhile, the security forces raided the headquarters of the Halwest Movement and arrested Ali Hamasaleh, the movement's decision-maker, and two other leaders.
Sardar Qadir, a leader of the Halwest Movement, confirmed the arrest of the three leaders in a statement, saying: "We are in a country where the decision-maker of a political party that has a parliamentary is imprisoned.”
As of this afternoon, a total of about 30 journalists, teachers, politicians, party figures and parliamentarians have been arrested.
Protests in Sulaimaniya are a result of years of frustration over delayed salary payments by the KRG. The government has failed to distribute salaries on time since 2014, leading to ongoing unrest.
During this period, the government failed to pay 18 monthly salaries, and 44 other salaries were distributed following a system of savings and partial deductions (21-25 percent).
