SLEMANI — A criminal court in Slemani is scheduled to hold a hearing on Thursday, September 3, for Lahur Sheikh Jangi, his brother Polad, and 10 other detainees in connection with the 2025 Lalazar incident, their legal defense team said.

Dana Taqiyaddin, spokesperson for the legal team representing the detainees, said Tuesday that 27 people detained in connection with the Lalazar events remain in prison, while 12 of them are scheduled to appear before the court on Thursday.

Among those facing trial are Lahur Sheikh Jangi, Polad Sheikh Jangi, and Rebwar Hamid Haji Khalid.

Taqiyaddin said the defendants are being prosecuted under Article 56 of the Iraqi Penal Code, concerning criminal agreement to commit an offense, while the case file also contains charges under Article 406, which relates to murder.

However, he said Thursday’s hearing would focus specifically on the Article 56 charge, which prosecutors allege involves an agreement to commit murder.

Under Article 56, a member of a criminal agreement can be punished even if the agreed crime was never carried out. Where the planned offense is classified as a felony, the article provides for imprisonment of up to seven years. It also sets a lower penalty where the planned offense is a misdemeanor or where the prescribed punishment for the specific crime is lighter.

Previous court appearances

Lahur Sheikh Jangi has appeared before a judge several times since his detention. His first appearance was on January 12, 2026, while his most recent appearance was on May 14.

A further hearing had been scheduled for June 1, but it did not take place. Of his three previous appearances, he was questioned in two, while no statement was taken from him during one of the sessions.

Taqiyaddin said it remains unclear whether the September 3 hearing will result in a final verdict.

Alleged plot against PUK leader

The Article 56 charge is linked to allegations publicly presented by Slemani’s Asayish security forces shortly after the Lalazar clashes.

On August 27, 2025, five days after the events at Hotel Lalazar, Asayish released video footage and alleged confessions involving a group of individuals. The security forces alleged that, with the cooperation of Lahur Sheikh Jangi and his associates, the individuals had planned to target Bafel Talabani, president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), using various weapons.

According to Taqiyaddin, Thursday’s hearing relates specifically to those allegations.

The defense lawyer rejected the allegations as unproven, arguing that no attack or murder resulted from the alleged agreement.

“What was published was merely an accusation, and no crime was committed thereafter,” Taqiyaddin said, adding that even if the Article 56 charge were proven, the defendants should face a sentence of between three and seven years under the applicable provisions.

He argued that the punishment would be different if an actual murder had been committed as part of the specific allegation.

Taqiyaddin also questioned the strength of the evidence presented by the opposing side, referring to videos released by the security forces that allegedly showed sniper rifles being concealed inside carpets.

He argued that the footage itself does not establish that the carpets contained weapons, saying the carpets appeared bent and did not clearly show concealed rifles.

Separate murder charge

The defense team said the detainees also face a separate charge under Article 406 in connection with the violence at Hotel Lalazar.

“Beyond this charge, Article 406 regarding murder also exists in the case file, because on August 22, when Hotel Lalazar was attacked, casualties occurred on both sides,” Taqiyaddin said.

The Lalazar incident occurred on August 22, 2025, after Lahur Sheikh Jangi refused to surrender to Slemani security forces. Security forces subsequently raided Hotel Lalazar, where Sheikh Jangi and his forces were located.

The confrontation lasted approximately three hours before Sheikh Jangi, his brother Polad, and members of his forces were arrested.

According to the official announcement at the time, five people were killed and more than 20 others were injured in the clashes.