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Nineveh criminal court issues death sentence for IS official
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KRG Interior Minister Reber Ahmed (KDP), is leading a delegation to Baghdad today for discussions with Omer Waili, the head of the Iraqi border points. According to Zamen Press, a media outlet affiliated with the Gorran Movement, the delegation also includes Samal Abdurrahman, KRG's director general of customs.
The talks are expected to focus on a range of key issues, including revenue collection from the Kurdistan Region border crossings and security along the Iran-Iraq border.
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KDP warns of possible action over unresolved civil servant salaries
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Chatham House report on policing and gender in Iraq
A recent report by researcher and activist Ilham Makki Hammadi, has brought attention to a pressing but often overlooked issue in Iraq: the role of gender in policing and the persistent lack of accountability within the country's law enforcement agencies.
The Chatham House report comes at a time when the Iraqi government's Communications and Media Commission (CMC) has stirred controversy by instructing all media and telecommunications networks to ban the use of the term 'gender.' The move is seen by many as a backlash against civil society and its focus on gender issues, potentially setting back years of progress on women's rights.
In particular, Hammadi's report highlights systemic problems within the Iraqi police force, including a pattern of disproportionate violence and abuse of power. A video clip from July 2023, showing a young man being beaten by three policemen in the Nineveh Governorate, serves as a case in point. Despite public outcry, police leadership downplayed the incident, claiming it was the work of a 'few bad apples' and not representative of the broader force.
The study also delves into the different forms of gender-based violence perpetrated by police officers. Hammadi points out that male detainees are often subject to forms of violence aimed at humiliation, while violence against women frequently carries sexual undertones. Both behaviors serve to reinforce traditional gender roles and patriarchal dominance.
One of the report's most disturbing findings pertains to the lack of accountability for police violence, especially in cases involving women. The report argues that a mere 2% of officers in Iraq's Ministry of the Interior are women, leading to biased investigations and further victimization. Even hotlines designed to assist victims of domestic violence are often managed by male officers who discourage legal action in the name of preserving 'family unity.'
Hammadi also criticizes the international community's slow progress in addressing these issues. Despite additions to the Ministry of Interior’s code of conduct in 2022 that aim to give special consideration to women and girls during investigations and detention, there is scant evidence of these policies having any impact on the ground.
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Just in: President Barzani assures Tehran that the Kurdistan Region 'would never be allowed to be used as a security threat' to Iran
President Nechirvan Barzani received Mr. Mohammad Kazem Al Sadegh, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Iraq, and his accompanying delegation.
During their meeting, discussions were held on the development of Iranian relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the security agreement between Iraq and Iran, as well as Erbil-Baghdad relations and efforts to resolve their differences.
In his speech, the President noted the significance of maintaining good relations with Iran, an important neighbor of the Kurdistan Region. Furthermore, the President assured that they will not allow any security threat from the Kurdistan Region to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Ambassador Al Sadegh highlighted the importance of Iranian relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and thanked the President of the Kurdistan Region for his assistance in providing transportation for Iranian pilgrims during Ashura and Arba’in commemoration.
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KDP veteran Fazil Mirani criticizes the role of social media in the political scene of the KRI and alleges that "foreign and regional players" are behind some efforts to create tensions. Speaking in Shaqlawa, Erbil province, during an event dedicated to the September Revolts, Mirani, a member of the KDP's politburo, spoke about Iraqi politics and relations between political parties, including the KDP-PUK dynamic. He stated, "Social media can't be used to lead a country… the political parties, including ours, should not follow the [narratives] on social media. Why? Especially the KDP should not be pulled into exchanging swear words, because you as a KDP member would lose."
Relations between the KDP and its rival PUK have been tense over several issues, including Erbil-Baghdad relations and security matters, as the powerful camps within both parties find it hard to see eye to eye. The outspoken Mirani is considered to be one of the KDP members who is supportive of a more conciliatory approach (alongside Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani), whereas the more powerful KDP deputy leader Masrour Barzani. Talabani has not hidden this sentiment and has recently implied that Masrour Barzani is the chief saboteur when it comes to relations between the two parties.
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KRG announces 20% discount on all traffic fines for six months– but there's a catch
The KRG has declared a temporary 20% amnesty on traffic fines, effective from August 28, 2023, to February 28, 2024. While the short-term relief measure ostensibly aims to 'ease' the financial burden on citizens, the statement later introduces stricter enforcement policies that will double the fines if not paid within a 30-day window after the amnesty expires.
The PM's office announced the reduction as a part of the KRG's 'ongoing commitment to the lives and safety of its residents'. The government claims that its preventive measures have been effective in reducing the number of traffic violations and accidents. However, the decision to offer a temporary fine "discount" introduces a paradox: If the existing financial penalties are indeed successful deterrents as claimed, reducing them—even temporarily—could potentially undermine their deterrence value.
And here comes the catch
The boon to motorists described above then segues into the actual substance of the statement: Starting on February 29, 2024, violators will have 30 days to pay their fines, according to Section 20 of Traffic Law No. 86 of 2004. Failure to comply will result in the fine being doubled. This marks a significant departure from the current practice, where fines are generally paid when drivers renew vehicle paperwork or engage in a sale.
"The purpose of violation penalties is to prevent violations, not to punish people," stated the Ministry of Interior. The ministry highlighted that the leniency in current fine enforcement mechanisms has led to a situation where many drivers accumulate unpaid fines, which fail to deter them from committing further violations. By introducing explicit deadlines for fine payments, the ministry aims to incentivize drivers to adhere to traffic laws more conscientiously.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the Erbil Traffic Directorate processes up to 2,000 annual renewal and change of ownership transactions daily. This level of administrative activity might see further complications due to the impending changes in fine enforcement.
While the KRG's arguments for stricter fine enforcement are not without merit—the current mechanism for collecting fines has been largely inconsequential in day-to-day of citizens—the timing and presentation of the policy changes have raised eyebrows. Often, the accumulation of fines becomes a factor considered in the sale of a vehicle rather than an immediate financial burden affecting living standards. The KRG is using the carrot of a temporary "discount" to introduce the stick: immediate payment of driving fines.
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UN rights chief warns climate change Is 'dystopian future already here'
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said Monday that climate change is sparking human rights emergencies in numerous countries, including Iraq. "This spiraling damage is a human rights emergency for Iraq, and many other countries," Turk said, pointing to "drought, searing heat, extreme pollution and fast-depleting supplies of fresh water" in Basra, Iraq.
"We do not need more warnings. The dystopian future is already here. We need urgent action now," Turk said in his opening address at the 54th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The comments followed the G20's recent failure to commit to a phase-out of fossil fuels, despite backing the goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030.
Turk said he was "shocked by the nonchalance" toward increasing migrant deaths as climate change forces more people to leave their homes. "It is evident that far more migrants and refugees are dying, unnoticed," he noted.
The High Commissioner highlighted more than "2,300 people reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean this year, including the loss of more than 600 lives in a single shipwreck off Greece in June." He also pointed to migrant deaths in the English Channel, the Bay of Bengal, the Caribbean, and along the U.S.-Mexican border, as well as at the border of Saudi Arabia, where "my office is seeking urgent clarification about allegations of killings and mistreatment."
Amid these challenges, Turk decried the "politics of deception," saying, "Helped by new technologies, lies and disinformation are mass-produced to sow chaos, to confuse, and ultimately to deny reality and ensure no action will be taken that could endanger the interests of entrenched elites."
Last month, New York-based Human Rights Watch reported that Saudi border guards had fired "like rain" on Ethiopians trying to reach Saudi Arabia from Yemen.
AFP
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More pictures from the meeting in Tehran
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No mention of opposition groups in KRG PM’s readout on meeting with Iranian top diplomat
Full readout:
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Talabani's meeting the Iranian foreign minister
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Eight days to go: Iranian Kurdish opposition groups face Sept. 19 Disarmament deadline
Latest developments
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Statement by the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan
Full statement
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And here's President Nechirvan Barzani's
As we celebrate the 62nd anniversary of the September Revolution, we pay tribute to the late Mustafa Barzani, the leader of the Revolution, as well as all the courageous fighters and heroic peshmergas who gave their lives for their country and the freedom of their people, and also those who endured a difficult path during the Revolution. Their memory is held in the highest regard and with the utmost dignity.
The September Revolution is the mother of all Kurdish revolutions. It carried the high ideals of an oppressed people seeking freedom and prosperity, and became an integral part of the national and cultural identity of all communities in Kurdistan. It became a source of great hope, as it revived national consciousness. It became the voice of a people willing to make sacrifices together in order to achieve their noble objectives while gaining the recognition of the outside world.
By virtue of their faith, resistance, sacrifice, and blood, the people of Kurdistan were able to defeat one of the most brutal regimes in the region and force it to recognize their rights. Even in the face of the collusions against the revolution- which brought it to a halt, the torch of the revolution did not go out. The achievements of the September Revolution formed the foundation for all the ensuing achievements and constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan in the following decades.
A fundamental strength of the September Revolution was unity and solidarity, and on this occasion, we wish to emphasize the unity, solidarity, mutual acceptance, and cooperation among all forces, parties, and communities of the people of Kurdistan. This is the only way to overcome the existing challenges, threats, and difficulties; and to protect the federalism, constitutional rights, and achievements of the Kurdistan Region and to ensure a better future for all the people of Kurdistan.
May peace be upon the souls of all those who died during the Revolution and all those who gave their lives on the path to freedom.
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PM Masrour Barzani's full statement
On the 62nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Great September Revolution, we commemorate, with the utmost respect, dignity, and appreciation, all the heroic Peshmergas and participants in this comprehensive, nationwide revolution in Kurdistan.
The September Revolution was the Kurdish people's most significant uprising, involving diverse communities under the leadership of our late national leader, Barzani, toward a common goal. During those challenging times, the bravery and heroism of the Peshmergas and the Kurdish people resonated worldwide. Not only do Kurdistan's freedom fighters honor this revolution, but freedom fighters globally also respect the Kurdish people's September Revolution.
Therefore, commemorating the Great September Revolution should serve as a strong incentive for everyone to insist on securing our constitutional rights and protecting our national achievements, which have been hard-won through the suffering, struggle, sacrifice, and revolutions of the Kurdish people. Among these historic achievements was the March 11, 1970, agreement when the then-Iraqi government was forced to recognize some rights of the Kurdish people.
The September Revolution demonstrated to all enemies and opponents of Kurdistan that the Kurdish people have chosen a path of perseverance and prosperity, not surrender.
Peace be upon the souls of the martyrs of the September Revolution and all the martyrs of Kurdistan.
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KDP leaders commemorate 62nd anniversary of September Revolts
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