Gorran Fraction on organized political crimes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Gorran (Change) Fraction to direct a memo to the relevant entities on escalating the security disorder and organized political crimes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

On escalating the security disorder and organized political crimes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Gorran (Change) Fraction has directed a memo to each of the President of Kurdistan Region-Iraq, the President of Kurdistan Parliament-Iraq, the Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region, the Presidency Council of the Republic of Iraq, the President of Iraqi Parliament, the Iraqi Prime Minister, International Human Rights Watch Organization, European Parliament, UNAMI, and foreign consulates and embassies in Erbil and Baghdad. It’s stated as follows:


Over the past period of time, a sort of agitation and security disrupt has spread out in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in general and in Sulaimaniyah Province and its suburbs in particular. As this development has worried the people of Kurdistan Region, it has included a form of organized political crimes which has targeted Gorran Fraction’s activists and parliament members, especially in the areas where Gorran List was the top winner in the past July 25 parliamentary elections.

The last but not the least event of such developments is the arson of Kurdistan Parliament Member Ms. Seewail Osman Ahmed’s office in Koya. It happened on December 30 2009 at 8:30 pm by unidentifiedperpetrators leading to material damage, but luckily no casualties.
As we denounce such cowardly attack on the premises of one of our Fraction’s female parliament members, we reiterate that this attack is a part of a series of assaults and security disrupt that has recently spread out in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in general and in Sulaimaniyah Province and its suburbs in particular.

This series of organized political crimes started with the punishment and deprivation of Gorran movement’s activists and voters in the areas where Iraqi President Jalal Talabani-led Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) still in power that lost in the abovementioned elections, meanwhile a media campaign by PUK is in instant increase and getting more intense in attacking on Gorran Movement.

Since September 2009, political crimes against Gorran Movement’s activists and friends have witnessed a physically direct approach starting by abduction, wounding, shooting, even up to physical clearance.

The followings are examples of such developments:

1- Mr. Soran Abdul-Qadir’s abduction in front of NPA Headquarters, an Norwegian NGO, in Sulaimaniyah on September 14th, 2009, who was found somewhere in Kirkuk following sever torture and beating.

2- The attack of a group of unidentified gunmen on Brigadier Dara Tofique in Sulaimaniyah on November 7th, 2009 and beating him almost to death. They got away when people knew about the incident and Mr. Tofique was left severely wounded.

3- Cornering, beating, wounding, setting automobiles on fire, seizing media equipments belonging to journalists by the security officials.

4- Resorting to murdering and shooting to kill against several political activists of Gorran Movement where they have severely been wounded and one of them has lost his life, such as:

· Shooting at Mr. Sardar Qadir, a Gorran Movement activist, in the city center of Sulaimaniyah
Province on December 4th, 2009. Consequently he was injured.

· Shooting at Mr. Yassin Abdullah Salih, a Gorran Movement activist, in Sulaimaniyah Province on the evening of December 19th, 2009.

· Shooting at Mr. Burhan Hama Mulla Ramazan, a Gorran Movement activist, in Shandar Village,
Sharazoor District in Sulaimaniyah Province on the night of December 22nd, 2009.
Consequently the bullets inflicted his belly.

· Shooting at Mr. Bakhtyar Sheik Osman, a Gorran Movement activist, by a group of unidentified
gunmen on December 27th, 2009.

· Murder of Mr. Raauf Zarayani, a Gorran Movement activist, in front of his house in Halabjay Taza Town.

By all means, this series of developments is considered as organized political crimes against a given political group. While hoping this series of offenses is not a state terrorism in Kurdistan Region, we’re deeply concerned about the inattention reflected by the security and official institutions as well as the lack of results of the investigations into such events.


Therefore, we evidently hold the President of Kurdistan Region responsible for safeguarding the citizens’ lives in the region being legally the Chief Commander of Armed and Security Forces in the Kurdistan Region.

We hold Iraqi President Jalal Talabani responsible as well who contrary to the New Iraqi Constitution is the Chief Commander of Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces and holds absolute military and security powers in Sulaimaniyah Province and its suburbs.

In the meantime, we ask the President of Kurdistan Parliament to immediately hold an urgent parliamentary session, as proposed by the three parliamentary fractions of Gorran, Islamic Union, and Islamic Group, to address the recent security disrupts and upheavals happening in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Kind regards,

Gorran Fraction in the Parliament of Kurdistan Region-Iraq
Erbil, Kurdistan Region-Iraq
December 31st, 2009