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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Sulaimani court on Wednesday rejected claims that the arrest of Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of the Kurdistan Region's main opposition New Generation Movement (NGM), was politically motivated or connected to the upcoming federal elections.
'There has been no political interference in this case,' Judge Salah Hassan, spokesperson for the Sulaimani court, told Rudaw. 'We completely reject this being related to electoral campaigns.'
Abdulwahid was arrested in Sulaimani on Tuesday night. In a statement, the NGM condemned the arrest, saying he was taken away by security forces affiliated with Sulaimani's ruling Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) 'without prior notice.'
The party blamed PUK leader Bafel Talabani and Qubad Talabani, a senior PUK member and the Kurdistan Region's deputy prime minister, for the move.
A judicial decree dated August 3 stated that Abdulwahid was sentenced in absentia to six months in prison under Article 431 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which pertains to threats.
'This lawsuit is not new. It is from four years ago,' Hassan said, explaining that the court had previously notified Abdulwahid and ordered his arrest. The case was filed in 2021 by a former member of the Kurdistan Region's parliament.
Due to his absence, the court issued the ruling in absentia and appointed an attorney to represent him, Hassan said, adding that Abdulwahid is being held at a Sulaimani police detention center.
Hassan further denied claims that 'masked' personnel carried out the arrest, saying police forces belonging to the Kurdistan Region's interior ministry made the arrest.
Abdulwahid is also involved in a combination of legal disputes and a prior court ruling dating back to September 2024, according to judicial documents reviewed by Rudaw. The documents show that his companies face enforcement orders for the seizure and auction of properties to settle large debts to a local bank
The NGM is the Kurdistan Region's most vocal opposition force. Formed by Abdulwahid to contest the 2018 regional elections, it has seen a dramatic rise in popularity and scored third place in the October 20 Kurdistan parliament elections with 15 seats.
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