ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The political party of Lahur Talabany wants his case to be heard by a court in Baghdad because they doubt the impartiality of those in the Kurdistan Region, a party member told Rudaw on Friday.
“The courts follow orders from leaders of political parties,” said Shadman Mala Hassan, a high-ranking member of Baray Gal.
He quoted Bafel Talabani, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the party that controls Sulaimani’s security forces, who said during a forum in October 2024 that “The courts of the Kurdistan Region are not courts.”
Talabany, two of his brothers, and an unconfirmed number of others were arrested after deadly clashes early Friday morning. The charges against him are related to criminal conspiracy under article 56 of the Iraqi penal code which was the original cause of arrest. Details of a second murder-related charge emerged after his arrest.
Tensions have been high between cousins Bafel Talabani and Lahur Talabany since 2021 when Bafel forced him out of the PUK leadership. Talabany went on to form his own party, Baray Gal, which stands in opposition to the PUK and currently holds two seats in the Kurdistan Parliament.
Hassan said that they will try to have Talabany’s trial transferred to Baghdad in hopes of receiving a fair hearing. He added that the party will continue its work in the absence of their leader, including preparing for upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections.
When asked about the arrest and clash on Friday that saw Sulaimani security forces driving armored cars and tanks through the city, Hassan said they “Did not expect an attack of this scale on our party.”
“We received many threats but we never expected tanks rolling in front of our building,” he said, but predicted that it would increase their popularity.
“Security forces took their orders from the [PUK] political party,” he said. “Legally they cannot send tanks and shoot the house of a member of parliament.”
Hassan said that Baray Gal and Talabany had no previous knowledge of an arrest warrant.
“They issued the warrant and moved forces to arrest him on the same day, so how can we trust the court process,” he said.
Nwenar Fatih contributed to this article.
