Since August, the PYD has detained dozens of activists, members and officials of the Kurdish National Council in Syria. The reason given is their participation in a funeral cortege of a Peshmerga who lost his life fighting against the Islamic State in Kurdistan Iraq.
The PYD withholds all information regarding their whereabouts and their general situation. According to reliable sources, their health situation is very bad.
These PYD politics violate human rights incorporated in many conventions and agreements. Likewise, they violate all human values and humanitarian standards.
All this shows the desperate confusion the PYD created, facing broad-spread criticism in the country and abroad against its practices. Moreover, it confirms that the PYD is afraid of the truth, thus, it turns to untenable allegations which do not correspond to reality.
The arrested persons are well-known among the Kurdish people as fighters for the rights of Kurds and against tyranny and dictatorship; they are defenders of human rights. Therefore, the PYD cannot ruin their reputation, gained within the political struggle, neither by detentions nor by false accusations.
The Kurdish National Council in Syria denounces this policy and reckless practice, and demands the immediate release of all political detainees. Furthermore, the KNC calls upon international and human rights organisations as well as upon Kurdish stakeholders to declare solidarity with this appeal in order to stop those fatal acts harming Kurds in general and their history of peaceful democratic struggle and of respect for human rights and values in particular.
Those arrested due to their participation in the funeral cortege of Habib Qadri on August 15, 2016, and still arrested are:
- Mohammed Ismail, administrative official of the politburo of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S)
- Nashat Zaza, member of the politburo of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
- Nafi Abdullah, member of the politburo of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
- Abdul Karim Haji, member of the central committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
- Salah Piro, member of the advisory committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
- Abdullah Cado, member of the central committee of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî).
- Abdulrahim Mahmoud, chairman of the local council of the KNC and member of the local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
- Bachtyar Rassoul, member of the local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
- Dijwar Tawfiq, member of the secretariat of the Kurdistan Student and Youth Union.
- Abdul Malek Hato, member of the local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
- Mahmoud Jondi Lawand, member of the local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
- Abdulrahman Abde Shank, member of the local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
- Fawzi Hasan, member of the local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
- Jasem Mohamad Ble, member of the local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (KDP-S).
Additionally, dozens of officials and activists of the Kurdish National Council in Syria are arrested, including:
- Jafar Bave Idrees.
- Tayser Hato (independent).
- Faisal Qadere, media staff of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî).
- Barzan Hussein Shechmos, media staff of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî).
- Farhan Hasan Hasan, Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî).
- Ayaz Farhan Osman.
- Kolan Barham Abde.
- Omar Salih Jameel Omar.
- Jafar Hussein.
- Ramadan Abbas.
- Mezgen Ramadan Hasan, youth acitivist.
- Mohamad Shech Mousa.
- Kawa Mohamad Ahmad (Kanrash), Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî).
- Mohamad Abde.
- Alan Mohamad Salim Mustafa, media staff of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî).
- Maher Ahmad Arabo.
- Khaled Hussein Akle, Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî).
Qamishlo, 10 October 2016
General Secretariat
Kurdish National Council in Syria