Independent Commission for Human Rights warns arrest of Lahur Sheikh Jangi was ‘more of a military display’

SULAYMANIYAH — The Kurdistan Region’s Independent Commission for Human Rights issued a statement condemning the Friday morning clashes in Sulaymaniyah between local security forces and the People’s Front leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi, criticizing the use of heavy weapons by security forces and urging that arrests be carried out through legal processes.

The commission said that on the night of Aug. 22, “a large security force with various light and heavy weapons gathered and moved to the place known as Lalazar, which is the residence of the wanted persons,” leading to four hours of clashes that lasted until 8:00 a.m. Casualties and injuries occurred.

On Thursday evening sources revealed that an arrest warrant has been issued for Sheikh Jangi, who is the cousin of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leader Bafel Talabani. Sheikh Jangi previously served as co-leader of the PUK until his removal by Talabani. The PUK is the ruling party in Sulaymaniyah.

ICHR denounced the outcome, saying, “We condemn this incident and its consequences, and in every way we reject fighting and chaos. We always support legal measures and the language of dialogue.”

The statement questioned why police were not tasked with the arrests, saying, “We assume that the decision to arrest the wanted is supposed to be carried out by police, not counter-terrorism forces or other units, where unfortunately different forces and heavy weapons were used.”

Judge Salah Hassan, spokesperson for the Sulaymaniyah court, told 964media by phone that an arrest warrant had been issued under Article 56 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which covers criminal conspiracy. He said the warrant applied to Sheikh Jangi and several others.

The group warned against damaging the Kurdistan Region’s reputation, adding that using such forces and weapons for arrests “is more of a military display and a bad reflection on the reputation of the Region.”

The ICHR also expressed concern over the filming and publicizing of detainees during the raid. “Some security forces took videos and photos during the arrests and later broadcast them on media channels. While the suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court,” the statement said.

The group extended condolences to victims of the incident, urging the judiciary to handle the case through “legal procedures rather than any other means.” It also called for prevention of similar incidents in the future. “We will continue monitoring the situation closely,” ICHR said.