CPT-IK October 2023 Field Update on Freedom of Expression and Turkish Bombardments in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Bombardments that caused civilian casualties in the KRI area during October 2023.
112 attacks - 6 civilians injured, 1 civilian killled
Attacks on Makhmur Refugee Camp
Throughout October, Turkish armed forces targeted civilians residing inside the Makhmur camp located approximately 60 km southeast of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. On the evening of 7 October, a Turkish drone struck a mosque inside Makhmur camp. Zeinab Ibrahem, a 60 years old woman, and two children were injured in the attack.
Civilians are not only targeted inside the camp, but also on the roads leading to the refugee camp. On 17 October, Dilovan Ishlik and 3 of his family members were hit by a Turkish drone on Chnarok Road in Koya. Dilovan was killed in the incident and three of his family members were injured. Dilovan had become engaged just nine days before the attack. Dlovan and his family were from Makmur camp and were returning home after visiting Dlovan's sister in Ranya.
Analysis
In October, the Makhmur camp area was bombarded 7 times by Turkey. Turkey’s justification for targeting the refugee camp in recent years has been because it alleges that the PKK has one if it’s main bases in the camp. Makhmur refugee camp is located 160 km south of the Turkish border and and is an equal distance from three of major cities in Northern Iraq-Mosul, Kirkuk, and Erbil.
The Makhmur camp is home to about 14,000 people, mostly Kurds, who took refuge there after forced depopulation and violence perpetrated by the Turkish state in the 1990s.
Turkish attacks in the camp mainly target civilians and their homes, attacks that only worsen the already precarious living conditions in the camp. Drones continuously fly over the area of the refugee camp and cause severe hardship to the people living in the camp, especially children who live in constant terror. Part of the escalation in drone strikes and activities in October may be attributed to the recent attack by the PKK in Ankara. In addition, movement and work for people living in the camp is highly restricted. People can only leave the camp with special permits. As a result, sometimes civilians are prevented from obtaining medical assistance or procedures and children who don’t have any state documentation can’t build any future for themselves.
Part of Turkey’s military strategy overall in has been to target civilians to force the civilian population to relocate from Turkish militarily strategic areas in Iraqi Kurdistan but also to sever any connection, sympathy, and association between the impacted civilian population and PKK.
Updates on cases of the Badinan prisoners
Guhdar Zebari
The CPT-IK team has monitored the court trials of all Badinan Prisoners. On October 1st, 2023 CPT-IK monitored the trial of Guhdar Zebari. CPT-IK observed numerous violations and concerns.
Some of the concerns and violations that CPT-IK observed include how the judiciary collected evidence and presented it judicially in court, the lack of any judicial evidence to convict Guhdar Zebari including no witnesses, the timing of the additional trials, restricted access for the defense, and the validity of the evidence.
Guhdar Zebari was tried and convicted in Erbil Misdemeanour Court Number Two for possession of an unregistered weapon and sentenced to six months in prison with no fine.
The full report can be read be read below
Sherwan Sherwani
On July 20th, 2023, Sherwan Sherwani was tried and convicted in Erbil Criminal Court for falsifying and forging documents. Sherwani was convicted of forging the signatures of fellow Badinan prisoners and the fingerprint of Guhdar Zebari, who was in solitary confinement at the time. Sherwani was convicted under Iraqi Penal Code Articles 295 and 298 and sentenced to four years in prison.
The defense filed an appeal and on 30 October, the appellate court in Sherwan Sherwani’s appeal reduced Sherwan’s sentence by two years. CPT-IK observed numerous violations and concerns about Sherwan’s trial. One of the major concerns was the lack of evidence for a conviction. The reduction comes as a surprise for it affirms that there were unjust judicial proceedings in Sherwan Sherwani’s trial.
The full report can be read below.
An Update on the Situation of Journalists and Activists in October
On 11 September 2023 Azad Baiz was arrested and held in prison for 23 days and released on 4 October. Azad Baiz is an activist and employee in the ministry of culture. After an investigation, CPT found that Azad was arrested because a resident in Iraqi Kurdistan had accused Azad for allegedly pretending to be a member of security forces and threatening him.
Journalist Emad Bilal, a reporter of BasNews, was arrested in the Sulaymaniyah province on October 22nd but released two days later on bail. He was arrested because he allegedly violated law number 6. 208: on the misuse of technology. Hiwa Osman, a journalist form Rwn media, founded by the Justice Group Party ( Islamic Group Party)- filed the complainant against Emad Bilal for defamating his reputation in a social media comment.
Journalist and lawyer Jamal Abdullah, a writer for BasNews, was arrested on October 23rd in Sulaymaniyah and released one day later on bail. He was accused for biting a person in 2013 and arrested because he didn’t attend the trial.
On 25 October, 2023 Sleman Ahmad, a Kurdish-Syrian journalist and editor for RojNews, was arrested at the Faysh Khabur border crossing while returning to work in Sulaymanyiah after visiting his family in Northeast Syria. On October 30th the general directorate of security in Dohuk declared that they had arrested Sleman because he was on a secret mission for the PKK. CPT-IK is concerned that Sleman didn’t have access to a lawyer or any contact with his family and that no-one is aware of his whereabouts.
At the moment evidence shows that only Sleman Ahmed’s case may be related to freedom of expression. Additionally, the arrests reflect an overall growing trend of the judicial system and security forces being used as a tool to target journalists and activists that are critical of the government.
