Release of co-chair of the People's Council in Makhmour Camp, Ahmed Shahbaz, his driver

This evening, Ahmed Shahbaz, the co-chair of the People's Council in the Martyr Rustam Joudi Camp (Makhmour), and his driver, Kabar Nas, were released after 13 days of arbitrary detention by the Iraqi army.

Shahbaz had previously traveled to the city of Sulaymaniyah for treatment. Upon his return on September 18, he and his driver were stopped at an Iraqi army checkpoint in the Hawija area on the Kirkuk road, without any official charges being filed against them.

This release comes amid the ongoing strict siege imposed by the Iraqi government on Makhmour Camp since April 10, which includes a ban on the entry of construction and reconstruction materials, as well as the detention of several workers coming to Iraqi cities, who are released after a few days without clear legal justification.

It is worth noting that Ahmed Shahbaz was previously arrested on May 14 during a visit by the Makhmour administration delegation to Baghdad to discuss the camp’s situation with government representatives. He was detained along with several administration and diplomatic members for 37 days before being released.

ANHA