PM Barzani condemns racially charged attack on New Year tourists

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Masrour Barzani on Saturday condemned a racially charged attack on Arab tourists visiting Erbil on New Year’s Eve.

Masrour Barzani condemned the act after video of Kurdish-speaking men identifying Arab tourists in cars and brutally attacking them in Erbil on New Year’s Eve went viral.

“It is profoundly unfortunate that a small band of troublemakers have in recent days assaulted tourists visiting the Kurdistan Region from Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces for the New Year celebrations,” a statement from Barzani read.

“I condemn these heinous assaults in the strongest terms. They are contrary to our standards and values,” the statement continued. 

“Every year, Kurdistan embraces hundreds of thousands of tourists. The assaults in recent days are wholly at odds with our well-known culture of peaceful coexistence and tolerance.”

Erbil Police announced on Sunday that they had arrested 16 people in connection with the attack.

“Anyone caused any damage as a result of these acts can visit Erbil Police to file a complaint,” the police statement read. “We want to ensure residents of Erbil that whoever commits a crime will not escape the law.”

At least 12 people were arrested in 2018 after two Arab tourists were beaten in central Erbil, Nawzad Hadi, the province’s governor at the time announced.