To Dr. Dindar Zebari
KRG International Advocacy Coordinator
Council of Ministers
Dear Mr. Zebari,
Thank you for your letter dated 30 November 2020 in reply to my letter dated 17 October regarding the case of the journalist Sherwan Sherwani and other detainees.
The argument you have put forward seems to contradict the facts as I understand them. If the information I have is wrong I would appreciate your clarifying the situation.
1. I believe that since Mr. Sherwani’s arrest he has been allowed one five-minute visit with his lawyer and that was 19 days after his arrest. In that brief meeting he told his lawyer that he is being held in solitary confinement and the authorities had changed his statement, without his permission. Since then, and despite constant requests by his lawyer for access to his client, he has been refused visitors. If this is not the case please can you tell me when and how many times Mr. Sherwani has been able to see his lawyer.
2. Since his arrest, Mr. Sherwani’s family has had no access to him. I have received videos of his son and his mother stating clearly that they have not been allowed to see him. If this is not the case please can you tell me when and where Mr. Sherwani saw them.
3. I believe all 37 detainees who have been arrested since September and October have been denied access to their lawyers and families. I read the statement from Journalists without Borders on December 1st expressing concern as to the safety and wellbeing of Mr Sherwani and understand there was a news item on Aljazeera TV the same day. You will understand that I can only go on the information published and ask that you kindly and with urgency arrange access to lawyers, families and human right organizations. This is an urgent request.
5. You assure me that Mr. Sherwani and other detainees have been arrested and treated well in accordance with the law. This is not consistent with their being held for two or more months without trial, denied access to lawyers and families, and held in solitary confinement. I respectfully ask that you review the information you have received.
The Kurdish people have paid a high price to establish a vibrant civil and progressive society and had high hopes of achieving this. As a close friend of the Kurds and having worked for many years to support those aims I very much hope that you will adhere to those same principles and aspirations.
I look forward to hearing from you urgently about this case and learning of Mr Sherwani’s release as soon as possible.
With sincere regards,
Ann Clwyd