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Kurdish lawyers strike over shooting of
Human rights lawyer in Iraqi Kurdistan
29.6.2011 |
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June
29, 2011
SULAIMANIYAH,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — A group of lawyers
from Sulaimaniyah staged a strike today in protest
at the
shooting of a
lawyer from the city.
On June 26 gunmen opened fire at Karwan Kamal, who
represented victims of the Kurdish police brutality
at recent demonstrations in the city, as he was on
his way out of a restaurant with his friends. Has
was wounded, as were his friends and a young workman
who happened to be nearby.
Krmanj Mohammed, the representative for the strikers
said at a press conference that he is not very
hopeful that assailants will be tracked down.
“There are a number of instances of death threats,
with concrete evidence, proof and identified
names….but even they are not arrested,” he said.
He added that he does not wish to point the finger
at any specific side but the “political parties in
the city should have a response in this respect.”
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Human rights lawyer Karwan Kamal was shot after
defending protesters |
Kamal himself was not so
diplomatic with his assessment: “There is a strong
hand behind such crimes, I regard this an extension
of the terrorizing campaign which began with the
public protests.”
Abdul-Salam Najat, another striking lawyer said that
the action had been taken because an attack on one
lawyer is intended as a threat to all lawyers.
Amnesty international on Wednesday
called on Iraqi
Kurdish authorities for immediate launch of an
independent investigation into attacks on those with
links to pro-reform protests after a human rights lawyer
Karwan Kamal was
shot.
Since last February till middle April, thousands of protesters
gathered daily
in Sulaimaniyah and other parts of Kurdistan against
corruption and the lording over Kurdistan region by
two main parties KDP and PUK. Kurdish
protestors demand the ouster of the local Kurdistan
government KRG,www.ekurd.netcalling for improving services and
living conditions and fighting corruption.
After 62 days of protests, the Governorate of of
Sulaimaniyah has banned unlicensed demonstrations in
the city. Heavy Kurdish forces
deployed
in the Sulaimaniyah city to prevent any
demonstrations, and occupied the city center and other parts of
Sulaimaniyah. The Security Committee in Sulaimaniyah
banned on April 18 all sorts of protests.
Most of the demonstrators opposed Massoud Barzani, and the ruling
Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP. Ten people
were
killed and more than 700 others wounded and 220
more have been arrested in clashes between
demonstrators and Kurdish security forces during a
wave or protests that swept Sulaimaniyah. The
Kurdish security forces (Asayish) arrested and
tortured a lot of activists and
journalists.
The protesters demand the Kurdish government and
parliament resign to give way for “early transparent
elections”. They complain about “monopolizing the
economic and political authority,” by the two major
parties of Kurdistan. Many observe allegiance to
either of the two ruling patties a must to get
employed and hence were deprived of the right. Kurdistan suffers from
electric power deficiency but after almost 20 years
of semi autonomy.
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author or news agency, aknews.com
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