Kurdistan’s Weekly Brief JAugust 2, 2022

A weekly brief of events occurred in the Kurdistan regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.

Washington Kurdish Institute

Iran 

• The Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan accused Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence (VAJA) of disseminating false propaganda after four Komala Peshmerga were arrested outside Urmia two weeks ago. VAJA claimed the arrested Peshmerga were affiliated with the Mossad. “The Komala Party strongly rejects these claims and accusations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and considers this project an excuse for further repression in Kurdistan,” read Komala’s press release. The exiled Cooperation Center for Iranian Kurdistan’s Political Parties (CCIKP) also accused the Iranian regime of “slandering and defaming the Kurdistan movement.” Komala previously said the arrested Peshmerga, Mohsen Maroofi, Pezhman Fatehi, Hazhir Faramarzi, and Wafa Azarbar, were deployed to Iran for “organizational activity.” 
• An Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced a Kurdish labor activist named Rebwar Abdullahi to two years in prison for membership of a banned Kurdish party. Moreover, Iranian security forces detained two activists, Shadi Dargahai and Logman Grami, in Marivan. Iranian security forces also killed two children inside a vehicle at a checkpoint in Kermanshah and arrested their parents. 
• Iranian border guards wounded 15 Kurdish border porters (kolbars) in Nowsud and Baneh. Concurrently, Iranian authorities killed a Kolbar named Sena Mozafari near Ahvaz on Wednesday. The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported three kolbars were killed, and 34 were wounded in July. 

Iraq

• Thousands of Muqtada al Sadr’s supporters stormed Iraq’s parliament and staged a sit-in after the Iranian-backed parliamentary coalition known as the Coordination Framework formally nominated Mohammed Shi’a al Sudani for the post of prime minister. Al Sadr’s supporters camped inside the parliament building for five days and rejected al Sudani’s nomination. Al Sadr described the protest as a “spontaneous, peaceful revolution that liberated the Green Zone as a first stage.” Al Sadr also called for additional protests across Iraq, but supporters of the Coordination Framework launched a counter demonstration on Monday. Coordination Framework supporters then tried to advance on al Sadr’s supporters inside the parliament building but were stopped by Iraqi security forces. President of Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani called for the “concerned Iraqi parties” to go to “their second capital, Erbil, and start an open and inclusive dialogue to reach an understanding and agreement based on the country’s higher interests.” Furthermore, an Iranian-backed militia named Ashab al Kahaf (Companions of the Cave) threatened to attack American and British bases in Iraq and Syria for plotting against Iraq’s Shi’ites. The militia also threatened Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE and advised its “mobile missile detachments” to begin targeting their bases. 
• Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussien demanded the “full withdrawal” of Turkish forces from Iraq during an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council last Tuesday. The Security Council convened in response to the Turkish artillery attack that killed nine tourists in Zakho on July 20. That said, Turkey’s envoy vowed the Turkish military would continue to target “terrorists” in Iraq. On Monday, a Turkish drone struck a vehicle between Ranya and Chwarqorna, killing one occupant and wounding the other. 

Syria 

• A Turkish drone strike killed four Internal Security Forces (ISF) personnel, including three women, in Ain Essa on July 28. On Sunday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced airstrikes and Turkish proxies killed four SDF personnel. The SDF also revealed it launched a security operation targeting Turkish agents within its ranks called “Operation Oath.” According to the SDF, 36 Turkish collaborators have been arrested so far. 
• Turkish-backed groups in the occupied Afrin sentenced a Kurdish man, father of three daughters, to death for “working with the former administration” and membership of “The peoples’ Defense Forces (YPG). Turkish-backed groups also arrested three other Kurds in Afrin; ‘s Rajo district. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the arrest was to collect ransom, a repeated act by the Turkish proxies.  

Turkey 

• Turkish police arrested several members of the Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), including twelve in Istanbul, on Friday and four in Antalya on Thursday. Among the detainees were several from the HDP’s Youth Council. Separately, the HDP is planning a rally on August 6 in Diyarbakir (Amed), demanding peace against the government’s wars on Kurds. 
• The Turkish opposition failed to achieve a quorum to hold a Turkish Grand Assembly session discussing “violence against health workers.” The HDP did not participate since they were not invited by the opposition, except for a general call for opposition blocs to join. The Turkish opposition, mainly the Republican People’s Party (CHP), is yet to include the HDP in the opposition group. The HDP lawmaker, Saruhan Oluç, said, “Opening a general debate in the parliament does not mean that a law will be passed.” Meanwhile, another party lawmaker, Meral Danış, said her party’s position is evident on the issue, but CHP’s call was “without etiquette.” 
• Four Alevi belief centers in Ankara were attacked Saturday during a religious ceremony. The HDP condemned the attack, which wounded a woman. Attacks on Alevis and Alevi institutions are triggered by the discourses of the ruling camp targeting Alevis. These attacks are directly related to the political power’s marginalization of Alevis,” read the DHP statement. In recent years, dozens of hate crimes have targeted minorities in Turkey, mainly Kurds.