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Human rights lawyer Karwan Kamal in hospital © Private
Iraqi Kurdish authorities must immediately launch an independent investigation into attacks on those with links to pro-reform protests, Amnesty International said today after a human rights lawyer was shot.
Karwan Kamal, a lawyer defending the protesters in the city of Sulaimaniya, was directly hit and two others were hurt when a gunman fired at them on Sunday night.
“There is strong reason to believe that Karwan Kamal was targeted for his work to defend pro-reform protesters,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Director.
“The Kurdish authorities must carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into this shooting and bring to justice those responsible. Attacks on human rights defenders must not be tolerated.”
Kamal had just left a restaurant with a friend and was collecting his car from a nearby car park at around 11:30 p.m. when the shooting took place. A gunman in traditional Kurdish dress fired five bullets at close range, one of which hit the human rights lawyer in his left leg, causing him to be rushed to hospital.
His friend and a car park employee were injured by shrapnel when another of the bullets hit a concrete wall.
A second individual is said to have been waiting in a car and then to have helped the gunman escape the scene after firing.
Kamal told Amnesty International that he had not received any threats prior to the attack, but that he knows of others who have received anonymous threats for supporting those involved in protests earlier this year.
Daily protests began on17 February with thousands of people taking to the streets in Sulaimaniya and other Kurdish cities to demand political and other reforms and an end to government corruption.
Some 10 people are reported to have been killed and many others injured. The security forces used excessive force against protesters, shooting some of them, and two members of the security forces were also killed.
A committee established at the request of the Kurdish Parliament to investigate the incidents has called on the authorities “to prosecute both civilians and members of the security forces that the investigation found to be responsible for the violence”.
The demonstrations, inspired by protests across the Middle East and North Africa, came to an abrupt end on 19 April amid a brutal crackdown by security forces. Since then the authorities have prevented any pro-reform demonstrations.
Many suspected protesters have been arrested. Some have allegedly been tortured in detention.
One of the protest leaders, 28-year-old Ismail Abdulla, was reportedly abducted and tortured late last month.
A group of armed men wearing Kurdish military uniforms and balaclava helmets to conceal their faces abducted him and took him to a remote spot, where he was beaten, cut with knives and threatened with death if he took part in any further protests.
“The authorities must put an end to these attacks targeting political and human rights activists and reinstate the right to peacefully demonstrate,” said Malcolm Smart.
“People in Iraq’s Kurdistan region must be allowed to exercise their legitimate rights to freedom of expression and assembly without fearing for their safety.”
Well done Amnesty International – not only that, but the two ruling parties are gathering now thousands of their militias arround city medans and on streets afraid of resumption of demonstrations, to suppress people directly by gunfire. All Human rights agencies are now called to act urgently to stop any suppression intention by the Kurdistan authorities.
What a cynical game is that?
To be honest I don’t believe the allegations by Gorran and the Islamists
that the KRG is targetting activists by gunning them down and not even doing it “accurately”.
Apart of the fact that there is no evidence at all which would support the allegation that the KRG has attacked activists.
Anyone could have done it out of teh dark in a country like ours.
In Kurdistan it seems to be sufficient to just write down and shout any allegations and you would find thousends of believers without having a single evidence.
The so called free kurdish media is practicing and supporting this conduct every day by simply alledging anything they like by saying:
“a reliable source told us… this and that.. ”
Those Gorran and Islamist followers have been creating a great hype since the end of the demos in Slemani alledging that there are “dangerous plans” from the KRG to opress or even eliminate activists.
It has been reportd by the hour by Hawlati, Awene, Sbeiy etc. that KRG forces are after “Faruq Refiq” and that they try to kidnap him etc…
Apparently no one from those KRG haters ask themselves how true those news are?
Why would a KRG with all that powers try to kidnap any of them if they can send their police in bright sunshine and just arrest them?
Why would the KRG send a few amateurs who can’t even hit their target to kill kak Karwan Kemal when they can have a judge sign an arrest order?
If the KRG really wants to “finish” those activists they have all their courts, Police etc. at their disposal.
Apart of that they could have a look in the CIA operations handbook to find out dozens of unsupsected ways to “get rid” of someone they don’t like..
all those suddon car accidents, falling from the roof of the house while working etc..
PUK and PDK are now in negotiations with Gorran/Islamists.
It would make no sense whatsoever to kill their followers because that would be a horrible publicity they cant really want.
I am not here to defend the KRG as I am not their representantive and not obliged to do so but as an idividual observing the situation in Kurdistan I see so many gaps in the allegations and accusations announced by activists from Gorran/Islamists..
I just want to ask fellow kurds don’t you see the contradictions there?
One has to ask himself who benefits from such incidents and news like
“kurdish activist gunned down”?
It is obvious that this would be a big blow for the KRG and a boost for the opposition.
There is someone or there are people who “need” such news to instigate people against KDP/PUK and gather support for those who want to destroy the KRG.
There are plenty of people who demand that negotiations between the opposition and the KRG must be stopped. They simply want to wipe away the KRG.
Such incidents are pouring gas into the fire they have ignited.
A true democrat and human rights activist would never fight injustice with lies and misleading the public which they want to serve.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch are misled and have inaccurate information because they rely biasly on information from one side which they have known for years during the kurdish struggle and they can’t belive that those individuals would distort the facts sofar that it would harm their own people and their interests.
Besides they mechanically count numbers and put the blame on the KRG ignoring the political and social realities on the ground regarding whp isacting on the ground and who is in charge of what, when and why.
They hide these matters and don’t give the audience sufficient information to have a clue about the fact that these unresolved issues exist and it is way not so simple and eaasy as they try to pant the picture.
There are many reasons why they do that.. but may be next time we should go into that.
Sincerely
Dilshad Xoshnaw
Thank you for a great post.
Right on my man!