Within 24 hours, the Patriotic Union of Kuristan and the Turkmen Front have issued three statements against one another on the death of a 35-year-old man.
Turkmen Front’s leader, Arshad Salehi, accused PUK’s Counter-Terrorism of torturing the man to death, but the PUK refutes the claim and says that the man died due to Coronavirus infection.
Arshad Salehi wrote on his personal Facebook page: “A 35-year-old youth named Usama Hasan has died after being tortured by Suleimania Counter-Terrorism agency.”
He urged people to attend the man’s funeral.
KirkukNow has been trying to talk to the family of the man in question since Friday, but they don’t want to say anything about the case.
In his Facebook post, Salehi included of a blurred picture of persons body with torture signs on it.
was sent to International Hospital in Erbil on 21 August, received treatment for Coronavirus infection
PUK members of the Iraqi Parliament representing Kirkuk, issued a statement claiming that that the man had died of a Coronavirus infection, and that he “was sent to International Hospital in Erbil on 21 August, received treatment for Coronavirus infection, and died of the infection.”
They have made public three documents on the death of Usama from the hospital.
Usama Hasan comes from a mixed family of Kurdish and Turkmen backgrounds. Although Salehi wrote that he was 35 years of age, the documents (allegedly) from the hospital show that he was 43 years old.
The PUK MPs say that such statements by the Turkmen Front leader will lead to racial tensions and that they are against any attempt “to create conflicts in Kirkuk.”
They also promise to let the matter be investigated.
But a statement issued by the office of Arshad Salehi, who is also the chairman of Iraq parliamentary Human Rights Committee, wrote in answer to the MP’s statement: “Only a judicial investigation is adequate to reveal the truth.” Adding that at a later date, they will make all the health reports on the issue public.
the family has officially submitted a legal complaint with accusation of torture to the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee
While Usama’s family wouldn’t agree to talk to the press, Salehi said that the family “has officially submitted a legal complaint with accusation of torture to the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee”
Salehi also alleges that some officials have meddled with the case without naming any.
