“We Want Consulates and International Organizations to Be Present On the Trial Day and Advocate for the Rights of All Prisoners”

Family of Suleiman Kamal, one of nine Badinan Prisoners to stand trial in July, speaks about the situation and upcoming trial of their father and husband.

Family of Suleiman Kamal: Amed is on the farthest left, Govand is next to Amed, Fatima is to the right of Govand, and Avesta is to the farthest right.

In the upcoming weeks, nine journalists and activists will stand trial for unjust charges. The family members of these activists and journalists are hoping to see a just trial process and see all of them released. One of the activists who is facing trial is Suleiman Kamal Suleiman, he is a father of four children and the husband of Fatima Haji. Suleiman's eldest son, Amed, told CPT that his father was abducted and arrested on 6 September 2020. Amed reported that his father was accused and unjustly charged with anti-state activism for working with a political party: “My dad with some of his other friends worked together in a political party called Coalition for Democracy and Justice.”

Amed believes that his father was arrested because he was not working for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which is one of the ruling parties in Iraqi Kurdistan. When he was protesting against the government’s corruption, Asaish security forces said to Amed’s father: “If you are not KDP, you should move to Sulaimani,” insinuating that Amed’s father should move away.“ In Badinan, it is difficult to challenge the KDP—no one can challenge them,” said Amed. 

Amed’s words have proven true based on what happened in the court trial on February 15-16 against five additional journalists and activists from Badinan: Sherwan Sherwani, Guhdar Zebari, Eyaz Karam, Shivan Saeed, and Hariwan Essa, all of whom have been sentenced to six years of prison. These court trials and their sentencing demonstrate that whoever wants to speak and take action against the injustice and corruption of the government will be severely punished. Fatima, Suleiman's wife, told CPT that she and her children fear that Suleiman's fate will be the same as these five prisoners who have been sentenced to six years in prison.

While in prison, Suleiman went on hunger strike with fellow prisoners, protesting their unjust incarceration. Amed was concerned about his father’s situation and was able to speak with him over the phone. Amed told CPT, “My dad called me once, and I asked him about the hunger strike. My father responded, ‘It doesn’t matter if we are on a hunger strike if they don’t give us food.’” 

Since Suleiman was arrested in September, Amed was able to meet with his father, and that was on 6 January 2021. The Asaish allowed them to meet only for Amed to witness that his dad was still alive. Amed reported to CPT that the Asaish said, “This is the first and the last time for you to see your dad.” When they met, Amed saw that his father was very malnourished. “His body was very weak, 5-6 Asaish officers were present with us and they were monitoring the conversation as I met my dad for the first time since he was arrested.”

Even though Amed’s father Suleiman has not committed any crime, he still faces judgment for practicing freedom of speech. Amed recounted an experience to CPT, “One day at the Iraqi Kurdistan parliament, a parliament member who was also a member of the human rights committee told me, ‘Your dad is a troublemaker.’ I told him,

‘My dad was a Peshmerga. How can he be a troublemaker while now he wants to make change through nonviolence?’” 

On 7 February 2021 the family members of the Badinan prisoners gathered in front of the United Nations compound in Erbil to meet with UN staff members to advocate for their loved ones. Some of the families were coming from distant towns. Suleiman's family was coming from Akre to join the other 70 family members. Suleiman's daughter Avesta was one of the family members who joined this gathering. Avesta is 13 years old now. Since her father’s arrest, she has experienced much grief and trauma. When she came to the UN compound to advocate for her father, she was arrested with her brother Amed. Many other family members were arrested as well. 

The family members of the Badinan prisoners came to ask the UNAMI for support because of the harm their loved ones experienced for exercising their right to freedom of speech. They do not understand why no one from the UNAMI compound came out while Asaish were arresting them all in front of the compound's CCTV and on media stations.

Suleiman’s family are now preparing themselves for the day when their father will stand trial in July. When CPT spoke with Amed about the trial, he concluded the conversation with an invitation for the international community.

He said, “We want consulates and international organizations to be present on the trial day and advocate for the rights of all prisoners”.