Latest news with #Shahab
Rudaw Net
3 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
President Barzani worked for years to facilitate Ankara-PKK peace process: Spox
Also in Kurdistan Explosive-laden drone intercepted near Erbil airport Duhok forest catches fire Explosive-laden drone crashes in Sulaimani province President Barzani, UNAMI chief discuss regional developments A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani has worked since 2022 to pave the way for the ongoing peace talks between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), using diplomatic relations with the international community, his spokesperson told Rudaw on Thursday. 'What we see now has been ongoing for years. I can say that since 2022 and 2023, the President of the Kurdistan Region has been directly in contact through all doors and paths possible to him, sometimes not only with the two main parties in the conflict but through his diplomatic relations with the world and the international community to help them facilitate and pave the way for ending armed conflict in the region,' Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency, said. The role of President Barzani and other Kurdish officials in the nascent peace process is clear, with meetings between the Region's top officials, Turkish authorities, and mediators serving as testimony to this. The PKK announced its dissolution and an end to its four-decade armed struggle in May, in response to a February call by its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to end the conflict - which has claimed around 40,000 lives - and pursue a political and democratic path. While Turkey has welcomed the PKK's move, it has emphasized the need for the decision to materialize on the ground. Meanwhile, the PKK expects democratic reforms from Ankara as part of the process. Rudaw was first to report on Monday that the first group of PKK fighters is set to disarm in the Kurdistan Region this month. The disarmament process is expected to begin in the Kurdistan Region in the coming days, as the first practical step in implementing the PKK's decision to lay down arms and end its armed struggle against Turkey. Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met with the Kurdistan Region's top officials, including President Barzani, in Erbil on Tuesday to discuss the peace process, according to Turkish state media. Shahab said Kalin's meeting with President Barzani 'mainly focused on the role of the [Kurdistan] Region in the peace process.' They also discussed 'all possibilities for the future of this process and the role the Kurdistan Region will play.' He added, 'Steps are heading toward a very good direction. There is great hope that practical steps… will be taken by the PKK. The Turkish state has a plan or program for its parliament to begin practical work.' Shahab also said that the process, which Turkey calls 'terror-free Turkey' has 'created great hope and we look to the future of this process with hope. It's worth an important note and we should pause on it that this is ultimately an internal matter of Turkey, but it's worth pausing for us and it's pleasing that both sides, especially the Turkish state, when an internal problem of a country that has long roots and causes many victims and bloodshed and creates much loss of life and material damage and create.' Saadi Ahmed Pira, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) politburo, told Rudaw on Thursday that any peace agreements between Ankara and PKK will end the bombardment of Kurdistan Region and politically help Kurdish politicians in Turkey. A short-lived peace process between Turkey and the PKK in 2013 granted Kurds some rights that were previously seen as taboo, such as elective Kurdish courses at schools. Kurds have been culturally, politically, and economically repressed in Turkey for decades. Shahab said President Barzani played a key role in talks that led to the process at the time. 'Before 2010, when in the heat of tensions and complexities, violence, war, and the use of weapons, even then Mr. Nechirvan Barzani was in his efforts with both sides, directly and indirectly with PKK leaders and directly without hesitation with the Turkish state presidency through all channels possible to him, to pave the way for peace and take steps to end all this destruction, heartbreak, human sacrifice, and devastation created by war, the damages that have befallen the region,' the spokesperson said. Tuncer Bakirhan, co-chair of Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), last month expressed his appreciation for President Barzani's "contributions to the peace process" between Ankara and the PKK. "He emphasized the importance of the President's continued role and support, now and in the future, as he had done in earlier stages, to help ensure the success of the process,' according to a statement from Barzani's office. The DEM Party, which mediates the talks between Ankara and the PKK, has sent delegations to President Barzani to discuss the process with him. President Barzani has repeatedly endorsed his support for the initiative. Bakhtiyar Qadir contributed to this article.
Express Tribune
18-06-2025
- Express Tribune
Cameras catch jail brutality
A video footage and a video statement by a prisoner have surfaced, allegedly showing severe mistreatment of inmates inside Attock District Jail, reportedly under the supervision of jail officers. Inspector General (IG) Prisons Punjab, Mian Farooq Nazir, has taken notice of the situation and raised key questions: Why were the inmates tortured, how did a camera make its way inside the jail despite tight security, and how were these videos recorded? He appoints Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Prisons Rawalpindi Region, Rana Abdul Rauf, as an inquiry officer, and sought a detailed report. In the footage that has emerged, a uniformed officer can be seen sitting on a chair while having a massage done by an inmate. Other clips show designated prisoners with their hands tied behind their backs being beaten by fellow inmates. In one instance, a prisoner is seen lifting another onto his arms while a third lashes him with a leather strap. This scene is repeated with other prisoners, and one prisoner is even seen being slapped and punched in front of a senior officer. In another separate clip, likely recorded during winter, a senior officer is seen sitting on a chair with others standing around him. A man can be seen beating a prisoner in the lineup from behind. Despite the severity of the situation, neither the administration nor the surrounding officers appeared to intervene. In response to the abuse, inmates went on a hunger strike. A prisoner named Shahab issued a video statement, appealing to higher authorities to take action. Shahab, who had previously raised serious allegations of misconduct, corruption, and abuse in Adiala Jail, is now imprisoned in Attock Jail. In his new statement, he claimed that ever since he filed a writ petition in the High Court two and a half years ago, resulting in an official inquiry, jail staff have harbored deep resentment against him. "We are tortured and humiliated. I have been on a hunger strike for the past four days. Every ward and cell is run like a contractor system. Money is taken from us, and other inmates are made to do labour in our place." He added, "I am not against the jail department or any government institution, but there are a few black sheep involved. We want justice against them." Shahab also alleged that despite extreme heat, trees inside the jail were cut down and used as firewood, depriving prisoners of shade. He further claimed that he had to pay Rs1,000 to each officer just to bring in a book. "I'm passionate about studying," he said, "but we're blocked at every step." He stated that the jail authorities even prevent inmates from appearing in exams unless they file a writ in the High Court. "I can prove every single allegation I've made in front of any impartial officer. If I'm proven wrong, I'll accept any punishment. But what we're enduring now is unbearable. We're being forced into hunger strikes, and we have the videos to back our claims." Following the IG's notice, DIG Rana Abdul Rauf has begun an official inquiry. IG Prisons Punjab Mian Farooq Nazir remarked, "Jail authorities have the legal right to transfer prisoners to different facilities as per the jail manual but no one has the right to physically abuse them. Such behaviour is intolerable." He further noted, "The entry of a camera into the jail despite security is a serious breach. That, too, will be thoroughly investigated. Anyone found responsible will face strict departmental action."
Qatar Tribune
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
UN officials urge Israel, Iran to show ‘restraint' at emergency meeting
NEW YORK: Israel's aerial assault on Iran has destroyed the above-ground enrichment plant at Natanz, where there is now 'contamination', according to Rafael Grossi, chief of the United Nations nuclear watchdog. Grossi delivered the update during an emergency UN Security Council meeting in New York on Friday, where he and other senior UN officials urged both Israel and Iran to show restraint to prevent a deeper regional conflict. 'I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities should never be attacked regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment,' said Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He reported radiological and chemical contamination inside the Natanz facility, where Iran was producing uranium enriched up to 60 percent. However, he added that the contamination is 'manageable with appropriate measures', and said the IAEA is ready to send nuclear security experts to help secure the sites if requested. 'I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation,' he added. UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo also urged both sides to show 'maximum restraint at this critical moment'. 'A peaceful resolution through negotiations remains the best means to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme,' she told the council. 'We must at all costs avoid a growing conflagration which would have enormous global consequences.' The 15-member Security Council, also joined by representatives of Israel and Iran, met at Iran's request after Israel struck several Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites in the early hours of Friday, and carried out assassinations of senior military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran's UN Envoy Amir Saeid Iravani told the emergency meeting that the attacks, which he described as a 'declaration of war' and 'a direct assault on international order', had killed 78 people and injured more than 320. He accused the US of providing Israel with both intelligence and political support for the attacks, the consequences of which he said it 'shares full responsibility' for. 'Supporting Israel today is supporting war crimes,' he said. The US representative, McCoy Pitt, insisted the US was not involved militarily in the strikes, but defended them as necessary for the self-defence of Israel. He warned that the 'consequences for Iran would be dire' if it targeted US bases or citizens in retaliation. 'Iran's leadership would be wise to negotiate at this time,' he said. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon cast its attack on Iran's nuclear sites as 'an act of national preservation', claiming Iran was days away from producing enough fissile material for multiple bombs. 'This operation was carried out because the alternative was unthinkable,' said Danon. 'How long did the world expect us to wait? Until they assemble the bomb? Until they mount it on a Shahab missile? Until it is en route to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?' 'We will not hesitate, we will not relent, and we will not allow a genocidal regime to endanger our people,' said Danon An Iranian counterattack on Israel took place while the UN meeting was in progress, with Iran firing waves of ballistic missiles at Israeli targets. 'Iran affirms its inherent right to self-defence,' said Iran's Iravani, promising to respond 'decisively and proportionately' against Israel. 'This is not a threat, this is the natural, legal and necessary consequence of an unprovoked military act,' he said. Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's UN ambassador, told the council Israel's actions in the Middle East are 'pushing the region to a large-scale nuclear catastrophe'. 'This completely unprovoked attack, no matter what Israel says to the contrary, is a gross violation of the UN Charter and international law,' he said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN officials urge Israel, Iran to show ‘restraint' at emergency meeting
Israel's aerial assault on Iran has destroyed the above-ground enrichment plant at Natanz, where there is now 'contamination', according to Rafael Grossi, chief of the United Nations nuclear watchdog. Grossi delivered the update during an emergency UN Security Council meeting in New York on Friday, where he and other senior UN officials urged both Israel and Iran to show restraint to prevent a deeper regional conflict. 'I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities should never be attacked regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment,' said Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He reported radiological and chemical contamination inside the Natanz facility, where Iran was producing uranium enriched up to 60 percent. However, he added that the contamination is 'manageable with appropriate measures', and said the IAEA is ready to send nuclear security experts to help secure the sites if requested. 'I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation,' he added. UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo also urged both sides to show 'maximum restraint at this critical moment'. 'A peaceful resolution through negotiations remains the best means to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme,' she told the council. 'We must at all costs avoid a growing conflagration which would have enormous global consequences.' The 15-member Security Council, also joined by representatives of Israel and Iran, met at Iran's request after Israel struck several Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites in the early hours of Friday, and carried out assassinations of senior military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran's UN Envoy Amir Saeid Iravani told the emergency meeting that the attacks, which he described as a 'declaration of war' and 'a direct assault on international order', had killed 78 people and injured more than 320. He accused the US of providing Israel with both intelligence and political support for the attacks, the consequences of which he said it 'shares full responsibility' for. 'Supporting Israel today is supporting war crimes,' he said. The US representative, McCoy Pitt, insisted the US was not involved militarily in the strikes, but defended them as necessary for the self-defence of Israel. He warned that the 'consequences for Iran would be dire' if it targeted US bases or citizens in retaliation. 'Iran's leadership would be wise to negotiate at this time,' he said. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon cast its attack on Iran's nuclear sites as 'an act of national preservation', claiming Iran was days away from producing enough fissile material for multiple bombs. 'This operation was carried out because the alternative was unthinkable,' said Danon. 'How long did the world expect us to wait? Until they assemble the bomb? Until they mount it on a Shahab missile? Until it is en route to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?' 'We will not hesitate, we will not relent, and we will not allow a genocidal regime to endanger our people,' said Danon An Iranian counterattack on Israel took place while the UN meeting was in progress, with Iran firing waves of ballistic missiles at Israeli targets.'Iran affirms its inherent right to self-defence,' said Iran's Iravani, promising to respond 'decisively and proportionately' against Israel. 'This is not a threat, this is the natural, legal and necessary consequence of an unprovoked military act,' he said. Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's UN ambassador, told the council Israel's actions in the Middle East are 'pushing the region to a large-scale nuclear catastrophe'. 'This completely unprovoked attack, no matter what Israel says to the contrary, is a gross violation of the UN Charter and international law,' he said.
Shafaq News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
President Barzani in Tehran: Strengthening ties with Iran, addressing Iraq's constitutional issues
Shafaq News/ Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani continues high-level meetings in Tehran aimed at strengthening ties between the Kurdistan Region and Iran, with a focus on regional dialogue, political solutions, and constitutional challenges in Iraq. Kurdish Presidency's spokesperson Dilshad Shahab stated that Barzani's discussions with top Iranian officials centered on advancing bilateral cooperation. The meetings, held on the sidelines of the 4th Tehran Dialogue Forum, are part of an official visit at the invitation of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. During his address at the forum, Barzani underlined persistent constitutional disputes between Baghdad and Erbil, stating that the Iraqi federal government must commit to power-sharing as outlined in the constitution. He also reaffirmed the longstanding cultural and historical ties between Kurds and Iranians. In a separate development, Shahab confirmed that Barzani also held talks in Antalya with Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. The discussions emphasized safeguarding the rights of all communities in Syria, particularly the Kurdish population. On Turkiye's evolving domestic political scene, Shahab noted that both Kurdish and Turkish parties expect a constructive role from the Kurdistan Region, adding that 'lasting stability in the region cannot be achieved through escalation.'
