Rights group presses Kurdistan leaders over Al-Sulaymaniyah arrests
Shafaq News – Erbil
Fifteen days after the Al-Sulaymaniyah events, families of several missing persons remain unaware of the fate of their relatives, the Independent Commission for Human Rights in the Kurdistan Region revealed on Friday.
The Lalazar Hotel in Al-Sulaymaniyah was the scene of armed clashes at dawn on August 22, when security forces surrounded supporters of Lahur Sheikh Jangi. The confrontation ended with Sheikh Jangi’s arrest and left deaths and injuries on both sides.
In a letter addressed to the region’s four presidencies, the United Nations, and foreign missions, the commission highlighted that the Al-Sulaymaniyah Security Service informed one of its advisers that it does not hold the latest list of missing persons—a response the body described as suspicious.
Some of those unaccounted for are believed to belong to counter-terrorism or commando units in Al-Sulaymaniyah, the commission noted, warning that concealing their whereabouts raises concerns over possible torture during interrogation.
It added that its team, led by chairwoman Muna Yaqo, requested access to several detainees, including Lahur Sheikh Jangi, but security authorities rejected the visit, citing a prior inspection. Meanwhile, the People’s Front Party reported ongoing daily arrests of its members in Al-Sulaymaniyah and other areas, along with threats directed at individuals close to Sheikh Jangi.
The commission confirmed it will submit a detailed report soon to the Kurdistan Region presidency, government, parliament, and judicial council, urging the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the incident, clarify the fate of the missing, and present the findings to the public.
