People’s Front leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi
Lahur Sheikh Jangi announces hunger strike over detention
SULAYMANIYAH — People’s Front leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi and his brother Polad have begun a hunger strike in detention, protesting what Sheikh Jangi described as political interference in their legal case and the obstruction of proceedings for eight months.
“We have been unjustly imprisoned for eight months, far from all institutional and legal norms,” Sheikh Jangi said in a statement published Sunday. “It is clear that pressure by Bafel Talabani and Qubad Talabani on the courts and institutions is preventing our case from reaching the Court of Cassation. For this reason, together with my brother Polad, we have decided from today to begin a hunger strike until the rule of law is achieved in our case.”
One of their lawyers, Qadir Agha Mantaq, told 964media that Sheikh Jangi “became angry over the obstruction and delay of legal procedures,” and confirmed that Rebwar Hamid Haji Ghali, a military figure close to Sheikh Jangi involved in the Lalazar events, has also joined the hunger strike. Mantaq said he has formally requested the case file from the Kurdistan Region Court of Cassation in Erbil nine times without success, despite a Sulaymaniyah judge’s decision to send it. He described a request for an Asiacell phone records report as a deliberate delay tactic, saying “most people now communicate via the internet rather than SIM cards.”
Mantaq said 12 more detainees were released on April 20 — without having appeared before a court — bringing the total released to date to around 42, while approximately 28, including Sheikh Jangi, remain in custody. Only 12 detainees have been brought before a court so far, he said, with releases happening “based on mood” rather than legal procedure.
The case stems from August 22, 2025, when security forces surrounded the Lalazar Hotel in Sulaymaniyah, where Sheikh Jangi and associates were staying. After he refused to surrender, forces stormed the hotel following hours of clashes that killed at least five people and wounded more than 20, before arresting Sheikh Jangi, his brother and dozens of associates. He appeared before a judge for the first time on January 12, when the court referred his case to the Erbil Court of Cassation for review.