The New Generation movement condemns the assault on its leader outside the Sulaymaniyah court.

Sulaymaniyah – Azzaman

The New Generation movement has demanded transferring the case of its leader, Shaswar Abdulwahid, from the Sulaymaniyah court to Baghdad after he was assaulted while being escorted to the court. A statement from the movement yesterday said Abdulwahid was taken while handcuffed without prior notification to his family or lawyer, describing the incident as a serious precedent in court procedures in the Kurdistan Region. It added that the armed force accompanying Abdulwahid, estimated at about 50 people, behaved inappropriately towards him, including dragging, pushing, and beating him while he was handcuffed, causing an injury to his hand. The statement noted that Abdulwahid is accused in a press-related case and that the assault represents a blatant violation of basic human rights standards.

It urged embassies and international organizations to intervene and monitor these violations, confirming a loss of trust in the Sulaymaniyah court and calling for transferring all cases under its jurisdiction to Baghdad courts. It also called on the UN mission and human rights organizations to document the violations and present them to the UN Security Council in its biannual report.

Earlier reports revealed that more than 50 members affiliated with a Kurdish party assaulted Shaswar Abdulwahid as he left the Sulaymaniyah court hall after being summoned in a press-related case. Sources said the Sulaymaniyah court summoned Abdulwahid from his detention place without prior notice or the presence of his lawyer to try him in a new press-related case. The sources indicated that more than 50 members affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party assaulted Abdulwahid as he exited the court. The assault and summons sparked widespread condemnation from local human rights organizations. Meanwhile, the Supreme Judicial Council recovered 3 billion Iraqi dinars in a financial fraud case.

A statement received by Azzaman yesterday said the Second Karkh Investigative Court recovered three billion dinars in a financial fraud case from a company violating the law to gain the dollar exchange rate difference through money transfers outside the country. It added that the Second Karkh Investigative Court, with great efforts and under the supervision of the court’s chief judge, recovered this amount and that efforts continue to take legal action against other companies using illegal methods to gain large profits harming public funds.