Iraqi federal court upholds dissolution of PKK-tied parties

[Anthea]

Banning 3 political parties in Iraq

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Supreme Judiciary Council’s order related to the dissolution of those parties and groups affiliated with the PKK

A statement issued by the Judicial Elections Authority at this court “The Judicial Elections Authority was formed on August 1st, 2024, headed by Judge Hassan Foad and the members Jalil Adnan Khalaf and Ramadan Hassan Obaid, who are authorized to issue judgement in the name of the people in Iraq, and issued the following decision:

Request to dissolve parties/ made by the department of Political Parties and Organizations Affairs Office at the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC)

The parties that should be dissolved:

1- Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party

2- Democratic Nidhal Combat Party

3- Party of Kurdistan Society Freedom / Tafakuri Azadi

The department of Political Parties and Organizations Affairs office requested officially, according to a letter referenced (1650) dated July 20th, 2024, that lodging a complaint and dissolution request for the forementioned political parties.

The request added on the closure of those parties’ headquarters and controlling their assets and money based on a complaint made by the National Security Advisory in regards to their letter referenced (1908) dated March 13th, 2024 regarding having links with the proscribed Party of Kurdistan Workers (PKK) because it causes a threat to Iraqi national security.

The decision

Upon the investigation and chasing up, it was found that the National Security Service applied to the department of the Political Parties and Organizations Affairs Office at the IHEC to lodge a sue-file complaint against the political parties (Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party, Democratic Nidhal Combat Party and Party of Kurdistan Society Freedom / Tafakuri Azadi) for their association with the with the proscribed Patry of Kurdistan Workers and practices of prohibited activities in the Republic of Iraq.

Through the ongoing investigations by the department of Political Parties and Organizations Affairs Office and their auditing on those parties’ records, and based on the information received from the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, after reviewing the official letter from the Office of the Prime Minister’s Personal Secretary of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces referenced No. (3028/2482601) dated March 10th, 2024, in which accurate information included regarding the aforementioned parties, also the Article (25) first and third of the Political Parties Law No. (36) of 2015, obliged political parties to exercise their work but to refrain from any organizational or financial associations with any non-Iraqi party, nor any party’s directing activity based on orders or directives from any external party or countries.

It also obligated to refrain from cooperating with political parties that are banned by the state or the party to become an outlet for other countries to interfere within the Iraqi internal affairs. Therefore, for all of the above reasons and Article (32 / First / W), and the Political Parties Law No. (36) of the year 2015, the court decided to dissolve the political parties as following:

1- Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party

2- Democratic Nidhal Combat Party

3- Party of Kurdistan Society Freedom / Tafakuri Azadi

To close down their headquarters and offices, also to freeze their finances after al the legal appeals procedures take place, by exercising the Article (Third) in the Political Parties Law.

The decision was issued on August 1st, 2024, and agreed on that is to be entitled to appealed against.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/36 ... ibed-party

[Anthea]

Iraqi federal court upholds dissolution

of PKK-tied parties

Iraq's federal court on Tuesday upheld a decision to dissolve three political parties because of alleged links with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)

The court rejected an appeal from Hussein Hajji Nafso, president of the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party.

In early August, the Iraqi judiciary’s electoral authority ordered the dissolution of the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party, the Democratic Struggle Front, and the Kurdistan Society's Freedom Movement (Tavgari Azadi), alleging that they have ties to the PKK. It was ordered that the parties’ offices be closed and their finances seized.

The decision followed a request by the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) and is part of Iraq's recent move to ban the PKK.

The federal court's ruling on the appeal concluded that “upon reviewing the appealed decision, it was found to be correct and in accordance with the provisions of the law for the reasons on which it was based.”

In an earlier appeal, Tavgari Azadi co-chair Tara Hussein said her party is independent, with no links to the PKK, and that the decision to close it was based on “false information.” That appeal was also rejected.

Under Iraqi law, political parties are prohibited from affiliating with or following directives from foreign entities, and cannot cooperate with banned organizations.

In March, the Iraqi National Security Council banned the PKK from operating in the country, following a high-level security meeting with a Turkish delegation and ahead of a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq.

The PKK is an armed group that has struggled for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey for decades. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara, which has launched numerous operations against the group and its alleged offshoots in the Kurdistan Region and Syria.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/040920243

Actually: The PKK struggled to obtain an Independent Kurdistan for many years. It is only recently that some traitorous HDP members downgraded the Kurdish struggle in North Kurdistan to one for increased rights. Fortunately, the PKK still refer to themselves as FREEDOM FIGHTERS