The fate of a researcher and political analyst has remained unknown for more than a month, after a complaint was filed by a brother of the Iraqi Prime Minister while family claims his "detention by a security force" in Erbil, capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region IKR.
According to (KirkukNow) follow-ups and statements by people close to Imad Bajlan family who requested not to reveal their names for their safety, on August 21, a "security force" arrested Imad Bajlan in Erbil and his family lost contact with him, who say they do not know anything about his fate.
"An unknown security force is detaining Bajlan," according to a source from the Bajlan family, who indicated that they were aware of an arrest warrant that had been sent from the Erbil court to the police based on a complaint from one of the Iraqi Prime Minister's brothers.
Imad Bajlan is from Khanaqin district of DIyala Province and resides in Erbil.
Bajlan, who describes himself as a “journalist, writer and political analyst,” accused Abbas al-Sudani (brother of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani), Secretary-General of the Badr Organization Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Progress Party and former speaker of the Iraqi parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi and a number of other officials of involvement in the “theft of the century” of two and a half billion American Dollars.
“We know for a fact that Imad was arrested on the orders of the Iraqi prime minister,” the source anonymously said, noting that the prime minister’s brother’s complaint relates to Article 2 of the Misuse of Communications Devices Law, which criminalizes slander and defamation via communications devices such as cell phones, wired and wireless communication devices, the internet, etc., and sets prison sentences of up to five years and a fine of up to five million Iraqi dinars (USD3,300).
Imad Bajalan's only crime is that he analyzed the political situation of Iraq in the media and shed light on corruption
(KirkukNow) tried more than once to contact the security authorities in Erbil, some of whom did not answer the calls, while others denied having any knowledge of the file or any connection to Bajalan's arrest.
Press freedom in Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region IKR is deteriorating due to continued violations, including arbitrary detention and “unfair” trials of journalists, says the Amnesty Internationl. In its May report, Amnesty International says authorities of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) “must end their assault on the right to freedom of expression and press freedom, including the arbitrary detention, beating and grossly unfair trials of journalists.”
Iraq ranks 169th out of 180 countries in the world, according to the latest ranking of countries for press freedom, released by Reporters Without Borders on May 3, World Press Freedom Day.
On Sunday, September 22, a number of activists and journalists in Iraq published a memorandum, a copy of which was sent to (KirkukNow), in which they appealed to the Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region, the government, local and international organizations concerned with freedom of expression to reveal the fate of Imad Bajalan and release him.
"Bajalan was detained by order of the Iraqi Prime Minister and we do not know his whereabouts. This is a violation of the constitution and the law and a suppression of freedoms,” the memo stated.
According to Article 38, the Iraqi constitution guarantees freedom of expression as long as it does not violate public order and morals. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression and belief.
"Imad Bajalan's only crime is that he analyzed the political situation of Iraq in the media and shed light on corruption, especially the case of the theft of the century," the source from Bajalan's family said.
"The psychological state of Bajalan's family is very bad and they feel anxious and afraid. They are subjected to severe pressure not to make statements to the media or reveal information about Imad."
The Metro Center for the Protection of Journalists' Rights described in a statement published on Monday, September 23, Bajalan's detention as an attempt to "spread fear and intimidation within society," calling on the interior ministers of the Kurdistan Regional Government KRG and Iraq to reveal Bajalan's fate.
Earlier this year, Bajalan was banned from appearing on Iraqi channels for two months by a decision of the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission on several charges, including incitement to violence and hatred.
In February 2024, an arrest warrant was issued against him by a Baghdad court, based on a complaint from Iraqi lawmaker Uday Awad on charges of insulting parliament.
Bajalan, who defends the Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP in his television interviews and is mentioned by some Iraqi media outlets as a KDP cadre, in June 2023 leveled several charges against former Iraqi Prime Minister and head of the State of Law Coalition Nouri al-Maliki, while the KDP’s political bureau clarified that Bajalan's statements do not reflect the views of the party.
