Despite 45 lawsuits, February 17 perpetrators are protected in Erbil

Bryar Namiq

Relatives of Rezhwan Haji Ali on his grave.

Twelve years have passed since the martyrdom of some protestors in front of the headquarters of the 4th branch of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Sulaymaniyah.

The guards of the KDP's 4th branch fired shots at the victims. There has been no law enforcement action against the suspects, who are still at large.

The father of Rezhwan Haji Ali, the first victim of the incident, says: "The KDP has asked me 17 times to solve the issue through tribal reconciliation, and after I refused, they took the case to Erbil and closed it."

Rezhwan Haji Ali participated in a demonstration in Sulaymaniyah on February 17, 2011. He was shot and killed in front of the KDP's 4th branch.

The general prosecutor was instructed to take the case to Erbil and close it on orders from the KDP leadership, according to Haji Ali, martyr Rezhwan's father, who spoke to the media on the anniversary of his son's passing.

He said: "The KDP came to my house 17 times for tribal reconciliation, and I refused and did not compromise."

"We have filed a lawsuit against two people, Hiwa Ahmed Mustafa, head of the KDP's 4th branch, and Shamal, head of the KDP's Parastin Agency," Rezhwan's father continued.
 
He added: "The February 17 incident took place in Sulaymaniyah; the martyrs were in Sulaymaniyah; the accused and the wanted perpetrators were in Sulaymaniyah; but the case was taken to Erbil."

According to Haji Ali, the judge has transferred the matter to Erbil to be decided. Hiwa Ahmed, who oversaw the KDP's 4th branch in Sulaymaniyah, is the subject of 45 lawsuits filed by the relatives of individuals who died or were hurt as a result of gunfire that was shot in front of his branch.

Martyr Rezhwan's father further stated: "The Interior Ministry does not carry out the court decisions because party orders dominate the government, and the accused have stated that the court is not for us and we will not go to court, so we have no hope for this authority, and we do not expect any justice for the blood of our martyrs."
 
Several people were killed and injured during a wave of protests that took place in Sulaymaniyah on February 17, 2011, after the demonstration's path was shifted to Salim Street and in front of the KDP's 4th branch, where the KDP's staff members decided to open fire on the crowd. The accused remain at large today.


 

PUKMEDIA