Şengal Administration demands Iraq revoke political party ban
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of Şengal has urgently called on the Iraqi government to revoke the decision to close political parties, emphasizing that the Yazidi community and the people of Şengal will never accept this decision and will not allow anyone to destroy their will and existence.
On Friday, the Autonomous Administration in Şengal set up a tent to support the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party (PADÊ) in central Şengal, in a move expressing popular opposition to the decision by the Iraqi High Electoral Judicial Council to ban the party, along with the Freedom Movement and the Democratic Front for Struggle. This decision, made on August 6, 2024, sparked a wave of dissatisfaction and rejection from various societal and political groups.
Hundreds of Şengal residents, along with institutions of the Autonomous Administration, gathered at the tent, which was erected in the early morning, to express their rejection of the judicial decision, which they deemed unjust and contrary to the rights of the Yazidi community. The event featured speeches expressing support for PADÊ and a commitment to the Yazidi community's rights to organize and express themselves.
In this context, Khidr Haji Mirza, the Sheikh of the Qiraniya tribe and a member of the Şengal Tribal Council, delivered a statement on behalf of the Autonomous Administration to the gathered crowd, affirming their outright rejection of the Iraqi Federal Court's decision, which he described as a violation of human rights and an assault on the will of the Yazidi community, which continues to struggle to preserve its identity and rights, according to the Roj News agency.
In its statement addressed to the public, the Autonomous Administration of Şengal strongly condemned the decision to close the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party (PADÊ) and the associated political movements, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Yazidi massacre committed by ISIS mercenaries in collaboration with the Turkish state and the betrayal of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
The statement emphasized that the Yazidi community, one of the oldest religious cultures in the world, has endured over 74 genocides throughout history. The statement explained, "The greatest tragedy that befell the Yazidis occurred on August 3, 2014, when ISIS carried out a horrific massacre against them, which 13 countries have officially recognized as genocide. Despite this, the Iraqi government has not officially recognized this genocide nor fulfilled its duties towards the Yazidi community."
The statement noted that the closure of the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party on the tenth anniversary of the genocide is an unjust decision that violates the Iraqi constitution, which guarantees every nationality the right to form its political parties. It described the decision as an affront to the will of the Yazidi community, serving the interests of the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Democratic Party. The statement claimed that the decision was a result of an agreement between the Turkish state and the Iraqi government, contributing to the escalation of Turkish incursions into Iraqi territory.
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of Şengal called on the Iraqi government to urgently revoke the decision to close political parties, emphasizing that the Yazidi community and the people of Şengal will never accept this decision and will not allow anyone to destroy their will and existence.
ANHA
