Iraqi Kurdish police arrest opposition leader in Sulaimaniyah
Abdulwahid was detained at his home in Sulaimaniyah on Tuesday under a court warrant and is scheduled to appear before a judge on Wednesday.
A police spokesman, Sarkout Ahmed, stated that the arrest followed legal procedures, though details of the charges were not immediately disclosed.
A court official, speaking anonymously, revealed that Abdulwahid had been sentenced in absentia to six months in jail for repeatedly missing hearings related to a defamation case filed by a former lawmaker.
The court may overturn the jail sentence for non-appearance but could keep Abdulwahid in custody pending trial for defamation, with bail remaining a possibility.
New Generation condemned the arrest as politically motivated, claiming it was timed to disrupt a planned protest over unpaid salaries for civil servants in the region.
Abdulwahid, a businessman turned politician, has faced multiple arrests since founding the party in 2017 and survived an assassination attempt in the past.
Human rights groups have criticised the ruling Kurdish alliance for suppressing dissent and using arbitrary arrests against opposition figures.
The New Generation party holds 15 seats in the 100-member Kurdish parliament and serves as the primary opposition to the dominant Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. – AFP
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