SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Badinan prisoners are suspected of being subjected to “bioterrorism” inside prison, a human rights observer on Friday said, calling for a “high medical committee” to investigate.
The last Friday marked the second anniversary of detaining of a group of journalists and activists in Duhok province by the security forces for alleged national security charges.
In February 2021, Erbil criminal court sentenced journalists Sherwan Sherwani, Guhdar Zebari, and Ayaz Karam as well as activists Shvan Omer and Hariwan Issa to six years in prison on the alleged national security charges. They have been accused of espionage and undermining national security.
Ayhan Saeed, human rights observer and a representative for Badinan detainees said “We suspect that Badinain prisoners are being subjected to bioterrorism,” he said in a statement.
“Instead of reviewing the [prisoners’] situation, today a mentally ill group within the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) who suffers from sadism interfere in the court’s affairs by the order of the Prime Minister against the prisoners,” Saedd added in the statement.
“This process is undergoing under the rule of the police-minded dogmatic ninth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) which is quite illegal and undemocratic, resulting in a local and international outcry.”
The observer further stated that this mindset of governance “jeopardizes the Kurdistan Region entity”, adding “There is someday ahead of us when all media corporations and opposition leaders including those writing a comment on social media will be at risk of being arrested and prosecuted in partisan courts.”
