Late night of June 1, Wajdi Zidane, 18, was attacked by several people near the Sharia camp for internally displaced persons IDPS in Duhok northern province, knock him out and cut off both ears.
Wajdi, student of grade 12, is now under medical supervision and has filed a complaint, without suspecting anyone.
Details of the incident
According to Zedan Ali, Wajdi's father, he informed his family at 10 pm on June 1 that he was going to watch a football match with several friends in the Sharia near their camp.
He leaves the camp alone because, his father says, his friends have left earlier.
After the match, his friends sent him away, but on his way home, Wajdi was attacked by several people, reportedly three.
"They stop him at the entrance of the camp. They first boxed him in the stomach and keep beating him until he fainted. When he woke up, both his ears were cut off," Ali said.
Avdel Ali, Wajdi's uncle, said the incident took place a few meters outside the camp. “I spoke to Wajdi myself. He said they were three people. He said they were older and taler than him and were speaking Shingali (dialect).”
Zedan Ali, Wajdi's father, talks to KirkukNow
Wajdi is an Ezidi from the village of Siba Sheikh Khidra in Shingal (Sinjar) district. However, since August 2014 when the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ISIS tookover Shingal and large swathes of Iraq, he has been living with his family in Sharia camp in Sumel district of Duhok.
Wajdi has three brothers and three sisters, and he is the eldest. His father is a soldier of the Iraqi army.
"He bled a lot when they cut both ears," Avdel said.
According to Duhok police spokesman Hemn Sulaiman, Wajdi took a picture of himself with his mobile phone after regaining consciousness and saw that his ears were missing.
Family demands capture of perpetrators
"We have no problems with anyone. He was just studying. We had set aside a small tent for him in the camp. He never caused any problems. We were surprised by this heinous act. Only terrorists do such things," Wajdi's father said.
He appealed to the government to arrest and punish the perpetrators.
Wajdi's uncle, Avdel Ali, also insisted several times that as far as he knew, his brother and nephew had no problems with anyone.
"If the perpetrators are not revealed, then we and other people will face big problems," he desperately said.
According to KirkukNow, no suspects have been arrested yet.
"As far as we know, a fight broke out near the camp and several people cut off the ear of a young man," spokesperson of Duhok police said.
"Wajdi said he did not know the suspects and suspects no one. He said he did not know how they cut off his ears," police spokesman Hemn Sulaiman said.
Wajdi said he did not know the suspects and suspects no one
"He first defended himself, then fainted and did not know what happened until he regained consciousness," he said.
"A complaint has been filed and a joint committee of the Duhok security forces and police have investigated a number of people, but no one has been arrested yet," though Sulaiman vowed suspects will be arrested.
Dian Jaafar, director of the Duhok Migration and Crisis Response Office, said, "Wajdi's relatives live in the camp, but the incident took place outside the camp. The culprit may be IDP as well but not arrested yet.
“We affirm his relatives the security forces will reveal the perpertrators soon.”
Lawyer Bahadin Yousef said the case would be dealt with under Article 412 of the Iraqi Penal Code.
According to the article, anyone who deliberately cuts off a person's organ is punishable by up to 15 years in prison or life imprisonment, depending on the case, beside compensation to the victim determined by the court.
