Latest news with #PatrioticUnionofKurdistan
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Iraqi who argued he cannot be deported because he is divorced, wins appeal after legal error
An Iraqi who entered the UK illegally has won an appeal after arguing he cannot be deported because he is divorced. In claims disputed by the Home Office, he said he divorced a 'prominent' politician's daughter and brought 'dishonour' upon their family. The Iraqi said it would breach his human rights to send him back to Iraq because he was at risk of an 'honour feud'. The Iraqi, who was granted anonymity, has won an appeal at an upper immigration tribunal for his case to be reheard after it was initially rejected by the Home Office and lower court. The Iraqi entered Britain 'clandestinely' in 2020 after travelling through Turkey and across Europe before arriving by boat in the UK. He submitted his application for asylum the following day. The court was told that his 'claim for asylum is based upon a claimed risk of being a victim of an honour-based crime'. 'He alleges that he fled Iraq due to threats from his former father-in-law, a prominent and influential politician affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. 'According to the [Iraqi], he was accused of bringing dishonour upon [his ex-father-in-law's] family by divorcing his daughter,' the court was told. It was accepted that he was married and went through a divorce, but the Home Office 'did not accept that he had experienced problems from his ex-father-in-law'. The Home Office issued a deportation order but the Iraqi, who had a child with his ex-wife, appealed the decision. His challenge was dismissed by a lower tribunal as the judge questioned 'the credibility of the marriage itself'. The First-tier Tribunal said there was a 'disparity in social status' between his ex-wife – the daughter of a powerful politician – and him, a 'minimally educated taxi driver from a marginalised tribe'. A claim by the Iraqi that he had also been the victim of a 'violent' attack linked to the honour feud and stabbed 17 times was dismissed as implausible by the judge, partly because it was 'unsubstantiated' by any medical evidence. The judge said the asylum claim appeared a 'complete fabrication'. The Iraqi appealed to the upper tribunal where the judge Sara Anzani said the lower court was wrong to question the marriage and divorce certificates and said the Iraqi was not given a chance to respond to their doubts. Judge Anzani said: 'These concerns about the reliability and authenticity of the marriage and divorce certificates were not previously raised by the [Home Office], nor were they put to the [Iraqi] during the hearing. 'I find that the Judge's failure to raise his concerns about the authenticity and reliability of the marriage and divorce certificates, concerns not previously identified by the [Home Office], deprived the [Iraqi] of a fair opportunity to address the Judge's doubts. 'The Judge's findings on the marriage and divorce certificates contribute to his overall assessment of the [Iraqi's] credibility, and the ultimate finding that [his] claim was fabricated. 'Consequently, this procedural error is material and permeates the entirety of the Judge's decision'. Judge Anzani concluded that the case must be heard afresh at the First-tier Tribunal again, but not by the previous judge.
Rudaw Net
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Diyala council seeks to block Qaratapa district upgrade
Also in Iraq Iraq's ruling coalition condemns drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Iraqi parliament fails to discuss drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits against Kurdish parliament PM Sudani welcomes new commander of anti-ISIS coalition A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Diyala Provincial Council has requested the Iraqi planning ministry to suspend the controversial elevation of Qaratapa into a district, a council member said on Tuesday, with plans for the subdistrict's elevation having drawn the ire of Kurds in the disputed province. The Iraqi government in early July approved changes in Diyala province that would see the merging of the predominantly-Kurdish subdistricts of Qaratapa, Jabara, Koks, and Kulajo into a new Qaratapa district – a decision deemed by Kurds as a renewed effort to alter the demographics of the disputed province and seize territory from Kurdish control. Aws al-Mahdawi, the sole Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) member from the council, told Rudaw that Qaratapa does not meet the criteria to become a district, and that the council's head has officially requested the planning ministry to suspend the procedures. 'Those who did this were doing it for election propaganda, with some failed parliamentarians behind the move,' Mahdawi said, adding that a committee will be formed to investigate the matter. The council presented several factors, explaining that Qaratapa's population is below that required to promote a subdistrict and that the area falls within the framework of Article 140 and should not tampered with. Additionally, Koks subdistrict is under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and not Diyala province, which is under federal control. As such, Mahdawi stressed that its inclusion in the plan is 'illegal.' Sherko Mirwais, a PUK leadership official and head of the party's Khanaqin office, in early July called the changes a 'threat to all of Kurdistan and the future of Kurds in Kurdish areas outside the Kurdistan Region's administration.' Following the fall of the Baath regime in 2003, Iraq began a policy of de-Arabization under Article 140 of the constitution, aiming to reverse the demographic changes imposed by former dictator Saddam Hussein. The failure to fully implement it, however, has been cited as one of the main reasons for the continued attempts at demographic change in the disputed territories. Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq cannot control militias attacking Kurdistan Region, says MP
Also in Iraq Iraq records 16 new cases of Crimean-Congo fever Iraqi parliament to convene on Kurdistan Region drone attacks Iraq arrests 40 over alleged baathist plots, sectarian incitement PM Barzani says Baghdad added new condition to finance agreement A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament on Monday said the Iraqi government lacks control over armed groups behind recent drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region, accusing 'external agendas' of fueling tensions between Erbil and Baghdad. Dozens of drone strikes have targeted the Kurdistan Region since the beginning of July, mainly hitting oil fields and causing significant financial losses. Kurdish officials have blamed the attacks on 'criminal militias' affiliated with the Iraqi government. 'We see that very often Iraq and the Kurdistan Region become victims of those militias that are outside authority. I can say that the Iraqi government cannot control those armed groups,' Srwa Mohammed, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has blamed Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) for the drone attacks, a charge Baghdad has denied. 'Despite having general authority, and the prime minister being the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, there are still militias that operate outside the law and do not follow official authority,' Mohammed added. The Iraqi parliament is convening on Monday in an extraordinary session to discuss the drone strikes, which have targeted key oil infrastructure. Although a parliamentary committee was formed to investigate the attacks, Mohammed said 'no report has reached parliament so far' and that the legislature's session is only for discussion with no decisions expected. She described the drone strikes as a form of 'pressure on the Kurdistan Region,' adding that 'whenever problems and disputes arise between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, undoubtedly pressure is imposed on the Kurdistan Region.' Mohammed attributed the tensions to 'political and external agendas' that she said are preventing a resolution between the two sides. In March, the US rescinded waivers allowing Iraq to import energy from Iran. The Kurdistan Region subsequently signed multibillion-dollar energy deals with American companies in May to develop its oil and gas fields - contracts that Baghdad rejected as unconstitutional and challenged in court. However, Iraq's Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of the KRG, upholding the contracts. On Tuesday, Iraq's state-run North Oil Company signed an initial agreement with US-based HKN Energy for the development of the Hamrin oil field in Basra province, just hours after a drone strike targeted one of HKN's oil fields in the Kurdistan Region. On Monday, Iraq's Council of Ministers approved a new deal to resume salary payments and restart Kurdish oil exports. Under the agreement, the KRG must export all of its oil through Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), keeping 50,000 barrels per day for local consumption and delivering 230,000 barrels daily to Baghdad. In exchange, Baghdad is expected to make budget transfers and supply refined fuel if needed. The KRG is also required to submit 120 billion Iraqi dinars (approximately $92 million) in non-oil revenues each month. Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said Wednesday that the drone attacks by 'criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll' have caused the loss of nearly 200,000 barrels in production.
Shafaq News
15-07-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Iraqi PM meets PUK Head: Salary and oil top agenda
Shafaq News – Baghdad/Erbil Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met, on Tuesday, with Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Head Bafel Talabani to address stalled negotiations between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region. According to the PM's Media Office, discussions centered on the transfer of oil and non-oil revenues from the Region to the federal treasury and resolving the ongoing salary crisis —affecting over 1.5 million civil servants—with both parties reaffirming their commitment to constitutional procedures and the relevant Federal Supreme Court rulings. The meeting also addressed preparations for Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11. Earlier today, a source told Shafaq News that Talabani arrived in Baghdad at the head of a senior PUK delegation seeking to revive dialogue. The source confirmed that Baghdad has tentatively agreed to disburse May 2025 salaries—one of two months still outstanding. This is the second senior Kurdish visit to Baghdad in two weeks, following a July 7 mission by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials. Analysts warn that the unresolved salary dispute has intensified doubts about the durability of Iraq's federal framework in the lead-up to the elections.
Boston Globe
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Kurdish separatist fighters in Iraq begin laying down weapons as part of peace process with Turkey
In Turkey, Devlet Bahceli, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's nationalist ally who initiated the peace process, welcomed the development. Advertisement 'Starting today, members of the separatist terrorist organization have begun surrendering their weapons in groups, marking historic developments that signal the end of a dark era,' Bahceli said in a written statement. 'These are exceptionally important days for both Turkey and our region.' Bahceli, who has traditionally maintained a hardline stance against the PKK, had surprised everyone in October when he suggested in parliament that Öcalan could be granted parole if he renounced violence and disbanded the PKK. The ceremony took place in the mountains outside the city of Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region. The state-run Iraqi News Agency reported that 'the process will take place in stages, with a group of party members initially laying down their weapons ;symbolically.'' The disarmament process is expected to be completed by September, the agency reported. Advertisement The PKK has long maintained bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. Turkish forces have launched offensives and airstrikes against the PKK in Iraq and have set up bases in the area. Scores of villages have emptied as a result. The Iraqi government in Baghdad last year announced an official ban on the separatist group, which has long been prohibited in Turkey. Journalists were not allowed at the site of Friday's ceremony. An Iraqi Kurdish political official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said that about 30 fighters took part in the ceremony, which took place in the presence of a representative of the Turkish intelligence service and representatives of the Kurdish regional government, Iraq's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, and the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party, a pro-Kurdish party in Turkey. PKK officials previously said that in order to continue the disarmament process, they want to see Turkey take steps to end 'the regime of isolation' imposed on Öcalan in prison and to allow integration of former militants into the political system. Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.
