SLEMANI — A leadership member of the People’s Front (Barei Gal) has accused the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of obstructing legal proceedings in the case of Lahur Sheikh Jangi, saying his detention has become tied to the fate of two seats won by the party in the Kurdistan parliamentary elections.
Ismail Faris Agha, a leadership member of the People’s Front, said more than a year has passed since Sheikh Jangi was detained, but his case remains unresolved.
Agha said Sheikh Jangi was demanding that the rule of law be upheld and that disputes in the Kurdistan Region be resolved through the courts.
“Lahur is currently in custody, calling for the rule of law to be upheld. It is unprecedented for someone who is detained to say, ‘Come and put me on trial,’” Agha said.
He accused the PUK of “paralyzing the courts,” alleging that the judiciary in Slemani was under the control of the ruling party.
Agha also claimed that the Court of Cassation had been disrupted because six of its members affiliated with the PUK were boycotting proceedings and not attending work.
According to Agha, the disruption of the Court of Cassation is directly connected to Sheikh Jangi’s case, alleging that there is an effort to prevent it from proceeding through normal legal channels.
He further claimed that Sheikh Jangi’s fate was linked to the two Kurdistan Parliament seats won by the People’s Front.
“Undoubtedly, if he had conceded those two seats, he would have been released six months ago,” Agha said.
Agha also alleged that tribal and political settlement proposals had been presented to Sheikh Jangi, but that he rejected them. He said the proposals included a form of social reconciliation, although he said the exact details were unclear.
He added that Sheikh Jangi had previously been asked to leave the country and withdraw from politics in exchange for his freedom, but refused.
The People’s Front has now warned that it could take further action if legal proceedings do not begin this week.
“We are waiting through this week. If it does not take its legal course, there are many paths we can take. We will adopt a much firmer stance,” Agha said.
Sheikh Jangi, a former co-leader of the PUK and a prominent Kurdish political figure, has been at the center of a prolonged political and legal dispute with the party’s leadership.
