Human rights condition worsened in Kurdistan Region, Iraq: US State Department report

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States State Department stated in its annual global report on human rights practices for 2023, that human rights conditions in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have worsened compared to the previous year, citing the imposition of increased restrictions on fundamental freedoms and civic space by both Erbil and Baghdad.

The report, based on fieldwork and reports by local and international human rights organizations and media outlets, critically analyzes the human rights situation in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. In addition to providing an overview of incidents of misconduct by the security apparatus, the report also highlighted numerous violations against journalists and activists.

Among the most significant human rights issues recorded were “extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance; torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment by government officials; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention,” as well as “serious restrictions on free expression and media, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests and prosecutions against journalists, censorship.”

The report stated that “The [Iraqi] government took some steps to identify, investigate, prosecute, and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.”

Highlighting cases of extrajudicial killings, the report mentions that three “senior officials” were killed in the month of July in the Kurdistan Region. Among the victims were the retired Brigadier-General Mohammed Mirza who was killed when his car exploded in the town of Zakho. The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) blamed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for the killing. 

The other two incidents were the killing of two members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) in an overnight attack in Sulaimani province, and an alleged assassination attempt against Karwan Gaznayi, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) politician who survived the attack.

The report also noted that both the federal government and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) forces have cracked down on critical voices in the country. 

“Security Forces, mostly those under the Ministry of Interior, within the NSS [National Security Service], or from the PMF [Popular Mobilization Forces], in addition to KRG forces (primarily Asayish), arrested and detained protesters and activists critical of the central government and of the KRG,” the report stated.

The report also highlighted that some government officials and international organizations, including United Nations Assistant Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), reported that trials in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region “fell short of international standards,” adding that the judiciary did not uphold the right of a fair and public trial to the defendants, as required by the federal law and the constitution. 

“In numerous cases, judges reportedly relied on forced or coerced confessions as the primary or sole source of evidence in convictions, without the corroboration of forensic evidence or independent witness testimony,” it said.

Regarding the condition of press freedom, the report mentions the extension of the imprisonment term of journalists Sherwan Sherwani and Guhdar Zebari by a Duhok court and the arrest of Omed Baroshki over criticizing the court’s decision.

According to figures from the Metro Center for Journalists Rights and Advocacy, a Kurdish media watchdog, 431 violations were committed against journalists and media outlets in 2022, dropping to 249 in 2023.

Kurdish authorities have repeatedly faced criticism by both international organizations and foreign missions for their treatment of journalists as well as for imposing restrictive measures on the press. 

The US Consulate in Erbil in February said Washington is concerned about the “recent backsliding” of press freedom in the Kurdistan Region. The KRG denied the accusation, claiming that the diplomatic mission had in fact voiced its appreciation towards the “decline” in violations against journalists.

The Kurdistan Region’s authorities used “vaguely worded laws” to suppress dissent and target those who expressed divergent viewpoints, arresting dozens of activists and journalists along the way, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in their annual report in January 2023.

The report also highlights the violations committed against citizens who participated in the September protests in Kirkuk, during which the Kurdish residents of the multi-ethnic city amassed in protest against the blockade on the Erbil-Kirkuk highway by Arab and Turkmen protesters who opposed the return of the KDP to the city. Kurdish protesters expressed support for the KDP's return to the city and accused Arabs of silencing them. As a result, violence erupted, and the Iraqi security forces used live ammunition to disperse the crowd.

“The ISF killed four Kurdish protesters, injured dozens more, and arrested 30 who were later released after Kurdish parties lobbied for their release,” it stated.

The report nevertheless also mentions that the KRG took steps to uphold the rule of law among its security forces.

“The KRG, however, took significant steps to uphold the rule of law in its security apparatus, such as training more than 400 Peshmerga officers and employees in human rights, gender sensitivity, and civilian protection,” it stated.