Free Ibrahimi Kaka Aha and others unjustly detained by the KRG

Letter from Dr Kamal Mirawdeli to British Foreign Secretary:
HE Foreign Secretary William Hague
Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
King Charles Street,
London SW1A 2AH

Dear Foreign Secretary

Human Rights Concerns in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

I am writing to your Excellency concerning the continuous dire state of human rights and the absence of rule of law and any sort of basic or restorative justice available to the citizens in the Kurdistan region. As the region lacks an operative Constitution guaranteeing freedoms and rights to the citizens, lacks a high court with power to intervene and arbitrate on behalf of the citizens, Equal Opportunity legislation and any form of functioning legal and judicial structures, Kurdish citizens whose human rights have been and are constantly abused by the dominating party apparatuses and officials, have remained in a desperate situation.  During the demonstrations of 17 February 2011-18 April 2011, 10 people were killed by KDP and PUK militias and dozens were wounded and since then many people have been detained or unlawfully attacked by PUK and KDP authorities. No justice has been done to the victims in spite of various empty promises by the authorities especially the president of the region. On this occasion I write specifically regarding the case of Kurdish patriot from Halabja, Ibrahimi Kaka Aha.

I myself was in Kurdistan region during the demonstrations and participated and gave speeches in some of them. I was in Halabja where the first major demonstration was planned to take place on 23 March 2009, PUK brought in an external military force of 500 armed men to the town who, hours before the identified time of the peaceful demonstration at 3.00 pm, started to harass and intimidate the citizens attacking with batons any small gathering exceeding two people.  In the previous days PUK had used the local peshmarga and police force but they had been very polite and supportive to people and appreciated the presence of a popular veteran peshmarga Ibrahimi Kaka Aha to morally support people and participate in their peaceful demonstrations. But PUK did not only stop using the local security forces, they had punished them for not shooting people and brought an external force to do just that to prevent the demonstrations. Another apparent aim of the deployed external force it seems was to implement a plan to murder the veteran peshmarga Ibrahimi Kaka Aha who as a popular dissident was unjustifiably seen as a threat to the authority of PUK in the town. Thus at that day the imported external force artificially and intentionally created a violent atmosphere as a result of which there was a confrontation between the suppressing force and the demonstrators and the force was defeated. During the disturbances Ibrahimi Kaka Aha was shot and a policeman was killed.  Next day, when the external force had been withdrawn, there was a most peaceful and disciplined demonstration which I attended and gave a speech to the demonstrations.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqGxqFA75mI

Then I visited the injured veteran peshmarga Ibrahimi Kaka Aha at his home. He told me how he was shot. He was standing in front of a shop near the park where the demonstrations had been advertised to start. He said: ‘an officer whom I had not known and had never met before, came to me, shook hands with me and mentioned my name. When I confirmed my name to him, he looked around and made a signal; I did not know what happened after that”. He was shot on his head and it is miraculous that he survived as the bullet hit sideways on the left side of his head and did not go through his skull.  (the video clip of my visit and this short conversation is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JjC8EAvoivA

This was no normal incident or accident. This was a premeditated crime and deliberate plan for the murder of a citizen by an authority which is supposed as the legal government with monopoly of power to protect the lives and rights of people including the right to peaceful demonstration.  It is also expected from Kurdistan Regional Government to investigate this incident independently and ensure justice for the victim and the punishment of perpetrators of murder. But unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the PUK authorities arrested Ibrahimi Kaka Aha two weeks ago and since then he has been detained without anyone being able to know his whereabouts or meet him. This has shocked many people who know him and the people of the town of Halabja who as your Excellency will be aware, was destroyed in a chemical attack by Saddam in 1988 and since then the town has has had no better lot under the control of Kurdish government. It looks more like a derelict village with lack of reconstruction, economy, infrastructure, jobs and services and people suffering from the corruption and oppression of unaccountable party officials and militia.

I appeal to you and Her Majesty’s government and through the good offices of your consul in Kurdistan region to intervene in this matter and ask His Excellency Jalal Talabani, whose party is responsible for this act of injustice, and  Kurdistan Regional Government,  to free Mr Ibrahimi Kaka Aha and all other people who have been detained during and since the demonstration of February 2011, conduct independent enquiry into the  crimes of murder and aggression against the citizens and ensure justice and compensation for the victims.

Yours sincerely,

Kamal Mirawdeli (Dr)

Kurdish writer and the former presidential candidate in 2009 elections

18 October 2011

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