Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

The defense team of Lahur Sheikh Jangi, leader of the People’s Front Party (PFP) and former co-leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), rejected the prison sentences handed down on Thursday over the 2025 Lalezar clashes in Al-Sulaymaniyah, alleging political interference.

The court sentenced Sheikh Jangi to five years and three months in prison, his brother Bolad Sheikh Jangi to three years and six months, and their associate Ribwar Hamid Haji Ghali to two years. The three were among 12 defendants in the case charged with offenses including inciting disorder and forming an armed group following clashes at the Lalezar Hotel in August 2025.

Speaking at a press conference after the verdict, defense spokesperson Dana Taqi Al-Din argued that the evidence presented during the trial did not justify the sentences imposed by Al-Sulaymaniyah’s Second Criminal Court. “If the case were not political, the proceedings would not have lasted more than a year,” he said, adding that the lawyers would appeal the verdicts on Sunday on behalf of Sheikh Jangi and the other convicted defendants.

Taqi Al-Din also described Sheikh Jangi’s reaction to the ruling, recounting how he applauded the judge before accusing the court of taking orders from outside the judiciary. “You should have sentenced us to death, because you have neither the authority nor the power to make your own decisions. You receive your orders from outside the court,” Sheikh Jangi reportedly told the judge.

Prosecutors presented their arguments before the defense responded, according to Taqi Al-Din, who said the court then adjourned for deliberations and recalled the parties to hear the verdicts.

The violence erupted last August when security forces attempted to arrest Sheikh Jangi at his residence inside the hotel under a judicial warrant. Hours of fighting with his guards ended in the detention of Sheikh Jangi, his brothers, and several associates, leaving several people dead, including three security personnel.

Sheikh Jangi first appeared in court in January 2026, but the proceedings faced repeated delays, including an indefinite adjournment in May and another postponement on Oct. 8 after the defendants pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have previously alleged political pressure and procedural violations, while a former detainee accused authorities of torture and coercion in custody.

Read more: Arresting Lahur Jangi in Al-Sulaymaniyah: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR