Iraqi court postpones rulings in Kirkuk land dispute

Shafaq News – Kirkuk

The Court of Appeal in Al-Dibis district postponed rulings on two lawsuits concerning a land row between Arab and Kurdish farmers in Kirkuk province, a representative of Kurdish farmers confirmed on Sunday.

Kirkuk is a multi-ethnic province, home to Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and smaller communities such as Assyrians and other Christians, which has made it a highly disputed territory.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Mohammed Amin noted that the lawsuits involve three Kurdish farmers cultivating land in the Shenagha and Sharshakh areas, stressing that the farmers’ families have held the land for generations, yet ownership was reassigned to Arabs by the former regime as part of demographic policies.

The court rescheduled the verdicts for August 25 and August 31.

In February, several farmers from Shanaga village and neighboring areas in the Al-Dibis district reported that an army force prevented them from cultivating the lands and also assaulted their representative, following a court decision to return Kurdish-owned lands.

Kurdish Leader Masoud Barzani condemned the army operation, likening the action to past acts of oppression such as the Anfal campaigns and chemical attacks. “The treatment of Kurdish farmers and efforts to block their return reflect chauvinistic and criminal actions against innocent farmers who are the land’s original owners.”