For KRG, human rights are cheap while criticism is expensive

Kurdistan 12:21 PM - 2023-04-16

Wooden hammer a judge slams down on his desk.

Erbil is attempting to silence opposition, and as an insult to the people, they are doing it by attacking, torturing, and imprisoning people. In a short amount of time, Erbil saw several instances of forced head shaving, and according to a member of the Human Rights Committee, "the barbershops in Erbil will turn into a laughter house next year." 

Four gunmen broke into the house of a consultant lawyer in Erbil on April 14, 2023, and kidnapped him, severely tortured him, and shaved his head. Forced head-shaving is considered an insult and an attack on the dignity of individuals in the Middle East.

What is taking place in Erbil was anticipated

Shadi Nawzad, a member of the Social Affairs and Human Rights Committee of the Kurdistan Parliament, told PUKMEDIA: "This inhumane treatment is likely to develop under a cabinet where the majority of the senior officials come from a security agency."

"Authorities sentence journalists to five years in prison for writing a comment before the court has even heard their case," Nawzad said. "When a parliamentary committee requests to see journalists, the same province's Asayish agency takes a year to respond."

"If this continues, I do not doubt that in the next two years, the barbershops in Erbil will become a slaughterhouse," she added.

Let's shave our heads ourselves before they force us to do so

According to Stran Abdullah, a Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) member, when we are forced to shave our heads, the situation goes beyond that and turns into violence. 

"It is normal if we decide to shave our heads as it is part of self-care and is to make ourselves look better, but outside of that, the matter goes beyond that and becomes violence when we are forced to shave our heads," he wrote in an article sent to PUKMEDIA.

The government does not accept criticism

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) does not accept criticism with regard to human rights.

Gulistan Saeed, the leader of the Gorran faction in the Kurdistan Parliament, wrote on her Facebook page: "You find it difficult and don't want to draw criticism when people claim that the Kurdistan Region does not uphold human rights but what is your response to this? What do you call it when groups shave heads, torture lawyers, and raid homes? Anyone with authority has the right to break into anyone's home and act similarly to how they did to the lawyer." 

"While according to the law, lawyers have immunity and are responsible for defending the law, the relevant agencies must adhere to the rule of law, protect human dignity, and punish the perpetrators," Saeed said. 

Lawyers in all Kurdistan cities and towns gathered in front of the courts in Erbil on April 16, 2023, to protest against shaving lawyer Mohammed Yaba's head. 

The Kurdistan Bar Association announced in a press conference: "The judiciary and security agencies must arrest the perpetrators of this crime as soon as possible."
 

 

PUKMEDIA