Slemani — The People’s Front (Baray Gal) has called on Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council and the Judicial Council of the Kurdistan Region to intervene in the legal proceedings involving Lahur Sheikh Jangi and a number of his associates, alleging that the judicial process has deviated from its proper course.
In a statement released on Monday, the movement said the appeal coincides with the tenth month since the events at Lalezar, where security forces arrested Sheikh Jangi following an armed confrontation in Slemani.
The People’s Front claimed that armed forces affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), acting under the direct orders of the party’s leadership, launched an operation against the residence of Sheikh Jangi on August 22, 2025. The movement said the confrontation resulted in casualties among Sheikh Jangi’s supporters before he and several associates were detained.
Sheikh Jangi is the leader of the People’s Front, a member of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, and an elected member of the Kurdistan Parliament.
According to the statement, some detainees arrested in connection with the incident were released months later without undergoing trial proceedings. However, the movement said that 27 individuals remain in detention in facilities operated by the Slemani Asayish and PUK Commando forces.
The People’s Front expressed concern over what it described as delays in the judicial process, alleging that the Slemani court has become influenced by political interests. The movement further claimed that the court has failed to properly implement decisions issued by the Kurdistan Region’s Court of Cassation.
“The court has entirely deviated from its natural course and shows no signs of returning to it,” the statement said.
The movement called on both Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council and the Kurdistan Judicial Council to ensure that legal procedures are carried out in accordance with the law and to prevent what it described as attempts to delay or sideline the case.
The statement also criticized Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani for what it called a lack of action regarding the matter, arguing that the presidency bears responsibility for safeguarding the rule of law and constitutional principles in the region.
Concluding its statement, the People’s Front appealed to the public, civil society organizations, and political actors in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region not to remain silent regarding what it described as injustices against the detainees. The movement called for greater public attention to the case and urged efforts to ensure that the rights of those detained are protected.
Neither the PUK, the Slemani judiciary, nor the Kurdistan Regional Government had publicly responded to the People’s Front’s latest allegations at the time of publication.
In the early hours of August 22, 2025, security forces moved to arrest Lahur Sheikh Jangi at the Lalezar Hotel in Slemani. The operation led to several hours of armed clashes between security forces and gunmen loyal to Sheikh Jangi. Following approximately four hours of fighting, Sheikh Jangi and members of his inner circle surrendered, ending the confrontation. Several people were reported killed or wounded during the incident.
