Kurdistan Referendum Movement condemns the KRG

[heval]

Very interesting, as well as disappointing piece of news... What does everyone think of this? Are they justified in the arrest or not, or is it too early to determine that?


Kurdistan Referendum Movement condemns the arrest of Dr Kamal Said
Qadir

11/1/2005 KurdishMedia.com

Dr Kamal Said Qadir, an international legal expert, writer and human
rights activist, was arrested by Kurdistan Democratic Party’s notorious
intelligence apparatus Parastin in Arbil on 27 October 2005. No-one
knows about his whereabouts. His family and friends have not been able to get any information from KDP authorities. Dr Qadir is an Austrian citizen and has been working as a lecturer in law and an international human rights’ advocate.

Before going back to Arbil, the capital of Kurdistan region, Dr Qadir
wrote, through the independent Kurdish website kurdistanpost.com, an
open letter to Mr Masud Barzani, the head of Kurdistan Democratic Party,
explaining his decision to go back to Kurdistan to follow up a legal
case he had previously registered against Masud Barzani and his sons. He
stated in his letter, ”I come back to my city to take advantage of my basic human rights: freedom of meeting, setting up organisations, demonstration and free expression.”

Before he was arrested, he had planned to present a seminar at
Salah-al-Din, the stronghold of Masu’d Barzani, to shed light on “the
darkest and ugliest aspects of the rule of Barzani family”, as reported
by a Kurdish website. He had also planned to establish a human rights
organisation to monitor many unreported human rights violations by
Kurdish ruling parties.

The arrest and disappearance of Dr Qadir has caused an outcry among
independent Kurdish writers, intellectuals and organisations abroad.
But the Kurdish media in Kurdistan, which is mainly directly and indirectly
controlled by the two ruling parties, have so far failed even to report
the news of Dr Qadir’s arrest and illegal detention.

Kurdistan Referendum Movement strongly condemns the arrest and illegal
detention of Dr Qadir in particular and the suppression of free
thinking, organisation and protest in Kurdistan region in general.

The arrest of Dr Qadir comes few days after the reported arbitrary
arrest, detention and torture of over 50 citizens in Akre who protested against the lack of fuel in Kurdistan and the monopoly of petrol trade by
KDP-sponsored profiteers.

We appeal to the Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and all
human rights organisations and free thinkers and intellectuals in the world
to protest against the suppression of freedom and human rights violations
in Kurdistan region and ask for immediate release and respect of human and civil rights of Dr Kamal Qadir.

Kurdistan Referendum Movement
International Committee
London 31 October 2005

[cheryl]

i think this stinks, heval. has hewlati written anything about this?

i don't see how kdp could be justified in making this arrest and i certainly think that there is no justification for totally hiding him. i mean, if they want to arrest, fine, but there must be public charges and due process.

it is not acceptable for people to be "disappeared." nor is it acceptable to violate free speech.

both of these violations are signs of fear on the part of the perpetrators.

[heval]

i think this stinks, heval. has hewlati written anything about this?

i don't see how kdp could be justified in making this arrest and i certainly think that there is no justification for totally hiding him. i mean, if they want to arrest, fine, but there must be public charges and due process.

it is not acceptable for people to be "disappeared." nor is it acceptable to violate free speech.

both of these violations are signs of fear on the part of the perpetrators.

I don't know, Cheryl. I haven't seen this news anywhere else. It was actually sent to me by a friend.

You are right. There is no justifiable cause for such actions. This is the type of stuff the world often condemns Turkey for, and it would be a shame to see KRG following those same steps in a path to a lack of real freedom and democracy.

I only hope there is more to this story than what has been announced by the Kurdistan Referendum Movement...

[Vladimir]

It was also reported by the Kurdistani. I don't know what their source is.. but it could be PUK source lol.

And otherwise Hawlati..

[heval]

It was also reported by the Kurdistani. I don't know what their source is.. but it could be PUK source lol.

And otherwise Hawlati..

Actually, their source is the Kurdistan Referendum Movement. This is a direct Press Release by the International Committee...

[Vladimir]

# Radio Nawa
# Iraqi Communist Party press release (KurdistanNet.org).
# KurdistanPost.com