Erbil police pledged action after alleged abduction of Peshmerga ministry employee

ERBIL — Erbil police said they are taking “necessary measures” after Miran Bakr Abdulrahman, an employee of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, alleged he was detained and assaulted by armed men near the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan political office in Erbil.

In a statement, Erbil police said Abdulrahman “was detained and abused late on the night of Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, near the boundary of the PUK political office by several armed individuals, and was later released.” Police said that if a formal legal complaint is filed, security forces and relevant authorities “will take investigative steps and the necessary measures to reveal the truth and apply the law to resolve the case.”

The statement added that authorities “assure citizens that no person or group will be allowed, under any circumstances, to attempt to disrupt security and stability or violate personal freedom and the dignity of citizens under any pretext.”

The police announcement followed an earlier statement by the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, which said it formed an investigative committee into the incident. The ministry said Abdulrahman is a ministry employee and clarified that he left his previous role as media secretary to the Peshmerga minister two years ago.

Abdulrahman said in a Facebook post that he was abducted around 11:30 p.m. near the PUK political office, blindfolded with a black bag, handcuffed and beaten for three hours. “They took everything inside my car, then said: ‘We made a mistake,’” he wrote, adding that he was later released in another location.

Both the police and the ministry said investigations are ongoing. No arrests have been announced.