Court Exposes False Accusations Against PUK in Market Fires Case

Kurdistan 02:37 PM - 2024-11-06

The Presidency of Baghdad/Rusafa Court of Appeal building.

The misleading narratives and falsehoods used by a political party to accuse the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and tarnish its image before the public have once again been brought to light.

The Baghdad/Rusafa Court of Appeal has decided to release detainees accused of involvement in the burning of marketplaces (Bazaars) in Kirkuk and Erbil, dropping all charges against them.

According to a judicial decision obtained by PUKMEDIA, the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support the accusations against the individuals – Hunar Fakhraddin, Mohammed Najat, and Sirwan Hussein. As a result, the court annulled the charges in line with Article Four/First, and Articles Two/1, 3, and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Law No. 13 of 2005. The accused were ordered to be released immediately, and any confiscated property, including phones and vehicles, was to be returned to them.

The case arose following a fire in markets in Erbil and Kirkuk, after which security forces arrested several suspects. However, some influential factions within the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) exploited the situation, falsely accusing the PUK of being involved in the incident.

 

Fabricated Scenarios

Sozan Mansour, Spokesperson for the PUK bloc in the Iraqi parliament, told PUKMEDIA that the accusations made by certain parties in government, manipulated by the KDP, were baseless. "The Court of Appeal has now proven the innocence of those wrongly accused of being involved in the market fires in Kirkuk and Erbil," she said.

She also accused the KDP of using government and security institutions in the Kurdistan Region to smear the PUK’s reputation. "It is shameful that these institutions have been misused to direct false accusations at other political parties."

"Thank God, the innocence of those accused by the KDP of being involved in the fires has been proven," she continued. "It is now clear to the public that the claims made by the KDP and certain security forces were nothing more than falsehoods, part of a broader attempt to discredit the PUK."

 

The Truth Unveiled

PUK MP Srwa Mohammad also spoke to PUKMEDIA, emphasising that the court had proven that the charges against the detainees were entirely false. "These individuals had no connection to the market fires in Kirkuk and Erbil," she said. "Some parties attempted to tarnish the image of the PUK by making these false allegations, but the court's decision has exposed these lies."

 

A Pattern of False Claims

As is often the case with their fabricated narratives, the KDP used security services to create a false scenario. Hemn Mirani, the Director General of the Ministry of Interior in the Kurdistan Region, was tasked with announcing at a press conference that those arrested were responsible for the market fires, including Hunar Fakhraddin, a member of the 70 Forces, and Mohammed Najat, an officer in the Counter-Terrorism Group in Sulaymaniyah.

However, the Court of Appeal confirmed that the accusations against them were based on unreliable evidence, and these individuals had no involvement in any operations or fires. The false accusations made by certain political groups have now been thoroughly debunked.



PUKMEDIA