ERBIL, #Kurdistan Region# - The United States Embassy in Baghdad on Monday voiced concern over recent reports of misconduct and the use of violence against protesters in the Kurdistan Region, urging the Region’s authorities to “review” the incident.
The New Generation Movement on Saturday said that over 40 of its members, including seven parliamentarians, were arrested during the anti-government protests in Sulaimani, called for by the party’s leader Shaswar Abdulwahid, which also saw the use of rubber bullets and teargas by security forces to disperse the demonstrators.
“We are concerned by reports of the use of tear gas and rubber-coated bullets to disperse protesters and the detention of journalists, civil society activists, and members of parliament,” read a statement from the US Embassy in Baghdad on Monday, in regards to the recent protests in Sulaimani.
The embassy stated that “universal human rights and freedoms” must be protected in a democracy, which includes the right to peaceful assembly, urging the authorities in the Kurdistan Region to “review these actions and reaffirm the vital roles that a free press, peaceful assembly, and the rule of law play in democracy.”
The US joins the United Kingdom and Germany diplomatic missions in the Kurdistan Region that have already voiced their concerns regarding the incident, highlighting the importance of freedom of expression in the democratic process.
The use of teargas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and even live ammunition by security forces to disperse protesters is not an uncommon occurrence in the Kurdistan Region.
Thousands of students took to the streets across the Kurdistan Region in November demanding restoration of a living allowance. The students were confronted with a large amount of security forces, and were dispersed with teargas and water cannons.[1]