PM:05:03:28/09/2025
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The New Generation Movement has called for the transfer of its leader Shaswar Abdulwahid’s case from Sulaymaniyah to Baghdad, following what it described as an assault and violation of due process by a PUK-affiliated armed force.
According to the statement, at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, security forces linked to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) escorted Abdulwahid to court in handcuffs without prior notice to his family, colleagues, or lawyer.
In the Sulaymaniyah courtroom, an estimated 50 armed individuals affiliated with the PUK allegedly mistreated Abdulwahid, handcuffing and dragging him in a manner that caused injuries. The New Generation accused the force of assaulting, pushing, and beating him, despite the fact that his charges relate to journalism and not terrorism. One of his hands was reportedly injured during the incident.
The party said this behavior reflected a blatant violation of human dignity and human rights, asking rhetorically, "Where is the chivalry and honor of the opposition in this matter?” It condemned the Sulaymaniyah court under what it called "Pavel and Qubad Democracy”, labeling it a platform for "thuggery” and accusing the ruling authorities of harboring hatred toward Sulaymaniyah and its people.
New Generation urged international embassies, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, and other international organizations to take the case seriously, document the alleged abuses, and raise them at the UN Security Council’s semi-annual briefing. The party emphasized that it had lost confidence in the Sulaymaniyah court and demanded that all pending cases there be transferred to Baghdad.
The movement also revealed that Abdulwahid’s trial took place without the presence of his lawyer or any observers, in violation of constitutional guarantees that trials should be public.