Asayish holds 29 detainees as court ruling stalls in Sheikh Jangi case
Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah
Kurdish security forces (Asayish) continue to hold 29 detainees in Al-Sulaymaniyah, while 11 others have been released in recent days, the defense team of Lahur Sheikh Jangi, leader of the Kurdistan People’s Front Party (PFP), told Shafaq News on Monday.
Burhan Rashid, the defense team’s head, stated that the Court of Cassation ordered on January 11, 2026, the transfer of Sheikh Jangi’s case to the Cassation Court in Erbil, noting that courts in Al-Sulaymaniyah have yet to implement the decision. “The case has taken on political and personal dimensions.”
Sheikh Jangi and his brother, Rashid added, began a hunger strike a day earlier in protest over “the lack of implementation,” warning that ignoring higher judicial rulings raises concerns over due process and the integrity of proceedings.
He also rejected reports of negotiations over Sheikh Jangi’s release, emphasizing that “he would not accept any arrangement that compromises his dignity,” while criticizing the charges in the Lalezar Hotel case as “legally flawed and politically motivated.”
The case stems from armed clashes late on August 31, 2025, in central Al-Sulaymaniyah between security forces and guards assigned to Sheikh Jangi following the issuance of an arrest warrant. The confrontation ended with the arrest of Sheikh Jangi and his brothers, Bolad and Aso, after security forces stormed their residence at the Lalezar Hotel in the Sarjnar neighborhood.
Read more: Arresting Lahur Jangi in Al-Sulaymaniyah: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
