SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The security forces in Sulaimani have launched a campaign to detain people perceived to be gay over “immoral acts”, according to security officials.
Esta Media Network reporter Bzhar Dabagh said on Thursday night that the security forces had set up several temporary checkpoints in Sulaimani city as part of the campaign to arrest people performing “immoral acts” as well as people who cause disorder.
Dabagh further said the security forces were also investigating hotels and vehicles to find those people.
“Some people have been detained so far. Asayish [security] forces are investigating some people who have inappropriate clips and photos in their mobiles,” Dabagh added.
Director of Anti-Drug Department in Sulaimani Pshtiwan Bahadin told Esta Media Network that the high committee of security decided to prohibit some people doing “gay sex and immoral acts” in Sulaimani city.
“After receiving judge’s approval, we have deployed several units in coordination with all the forces in Sulaimani to detain those people and those who cause chaos in Sulaimani city,” Bahadin said.
“This process will continue for a long time, and as we have promised, we won’t allow the security situation of the city to be undermined,” he added.
“The units will continue the process to detain those who do immoral acts or create chaos.”
Bahadin said the security forces had detained more than 10 people in the district they had been deployed to, and the other units had arrested several others.
“All of them were arrested by the judge order,” he added. “We will conduct preliminary investigation with them. After it became clear to us that they had done immoral acts or caused disorder, we would send them to prison and start legal measures,” he added.
“There are all nationalities among them, including Kurds and Arabs.”
