PUK Condemns Koya Grave Attack — Mayor Investigates, Qubad Talabani to Fund Restoration

PUKMEDIA

Koya Mayor speaks to PUKMEDIA.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has strongly condemned the recent desecration of Christian graves in the city of Koya, describing the act as wholly foreign to the area’s long-standing culture of coexistence and tolerance.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the PUK’s Koya Headquarters highlighted that peaceful coexistence, mutual acceptance, and participation in religious and social life among diverse communities have shaped the city for centuries. These values, it noted, represent a hallmark of modern civic development and embody the city’s cultural identity.

The PUK’s Headquarters denounced those responsible as individuals “alien to the city’s culture and heritage, and devoid of cultural and human values.” It said that the deliberate vandalism of graves belonging to Christian figures was intended to undermine the spirit of harmony that has historically defined life in Koya.

In the statement, the headquarters stressed that the original residents of the city and the party firmly reject such behaviour, calling on security forces to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice, preventing any attempt to damage the city’s model of coexistence.

Following the incident, Qubad Talabani pledged to fully fund the restoration and reconstruction of the damaged graves, underscoring the PUK’s commitment to preserving unity and repairing the harm inflicted.

For his part, Hakim Tariq Haider, the Mayor of Koya, told PUKMEDIA: “We have been instructed by the office of Qubad Talabani, as the municipal administration of Koya, to investigate this crime immediately and bring the perpetrators to justice. We have also formed a special committee to work on the restoration of the graves.”

The PUK reiterated its readiness to support the repair efforts and ensure that dignity and respect are restored to the site, reaffirming that the values of coexistence and shared community remain central to Koya.


PUKMEDIA