NEWS CENTER – There has been no news from Rojnews editor Süleyman Ahmet, who is detained by KDP's intelligence agency Parastin, for 140 days. While his lawyer Nerîman Ahmet Reşîd said that they had clear information that Ahmet is detained despite his denial, Mother Sultane Ahmet said: "I want to hear from my son" and rebelled against the silence of the authorities.

 

There has been no news for 140 days from Suleyman Ahmet, the Arabic editor of Rojnews, who is detained by units affiliated with the KDP at the Pêşxabûr (Sêmalka) Border Gate while returning to the Federated Kurdistan Region from the city of Aleppo, where he went to visit his family, on October 25. 

Upon receiving information that Ahmet was taken to the city of Duhok, his lawyers applied to the Duhok Public Order Office. Even though it was unofficially accepted that Ahmet is in their hands, he is not allowed to meet with his lawyers. Duhok Public Order, which had to make a statement 6 days later after the reactions, claimed that Ahmet is not in their hands, even though they accused him of "carrying out intelligence activities".

 

Thereupon, the Duhok Judgeship, to which the application was made, decided that his lawyers could meet with Ahmet. With this decision, it was officially accepted that Ahmet was held in custody. The lawyers, who went to the Duhok Public Order Office with the decision in hand, were not only not allowed to meet with Ahmet, but also faced attacks and threats that amounted to physical violence. Continuing their investigation despite the attacks and threats, the lawyers learned that Ahmet was being held in one of the unofficial detention centers of Parastin, the intelligence agency of the KDP.

 

Lawyers who are members of the Süleyman Ahmet Defense Group have officially made more than 10 applications. However, they were not allowed to meet with their clients and no information about Ahmet’s situation was shared with them.

 

MEETING ATTEMPTS BLOCKED

 

Lawyer Nerîman Ahmet Reşîd stated that they have made many attempts to meet with his detained client Süleyman Ahmet, but the authorities prevented their attempts to meet with their client. Reşid said: “The security forces affiliated with the KDP are preventing us from accessing the file. Although we have the right to meet with our client, they do not allow us to meet."

 

'KDP DOES NOT LET THIS UNLAWFULNESS END'

 

Stating that KDP officials and security forces violated the basic laws of Iraq with this approach, Reşid said: "We still do not know why Süleyman Ahmet is detained. Ahmet has no security problems. He went to Rojava officially and returned officially. So far, they have not explained the reason for their detention and they do not share it with the public. KDP does not allow this unlawfulness to disappear. According to the laws of Iraq and Southern Kurdistan, everyone who is arrested must meet with their lawyer as soon as possible and the lawyer must be able to see our client's file. We have applied 10 times so far, but they are blocking us. We have clear information that he is detained by them."

 

'WE ARE WORRIED!'

 

Reşid also stated that they were "concerned about the life safety and health" of their client, about whom they could not obtain information and said: “The situation of a person staying in the prison under the control of the KDP Public Order is automatically bad. Because it is not a prison built in accordance with human rights. They cannot tolerate anything."

Reşid calling on the Iraqi parliament, human rights organizations and international institutions in the country to take action regarding Ahmet.

 

‘NO ONE MAKES A SOUND’

Süleyman Ahmet's mother, Sultane Ahmet, rebelled against the silence of the authorities and relevant institutions regarding her son, whom she had not heard from for 140 days. Sultane Ahmet said: “Everyone is silent, no one makes a sound. Please let me know what my son’s situation is. If he is in prison, say he is in prison. I want to hear from my son.”

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut