6 Months prison for a Facebook comment

Arwand Rizgar – Activist 

A brave voice and a gentle activist stood before the poisoned scalpel of the court of the tribe.

Omed Baroshki—a journalist, a capable activist, a strong voice, and a defender of human rights. He has made every effort, through writing and activism, to establish democracy and freedom in Kurdistan, without yielding to the obstacles that life creates. His activism is part of the struggle for a better and more just world.

What draws attention is that a corrupt and oppressive authority like that in South Kurdistan does not want these injustices and crimes to be heard-so that the public remains unaware and blind to the wrongs they commit, both openly and in secret. All of this is for the sake of prolonging their rule and securing their personal, familial, and partisan interests.

On January 30, 2025, as on many occasions before, like a habitual and permanent act, they once again listened to the unjust rulings of the tribal court of Barzan, sentencing that heroic activist to six months in prison—a deeply shameful and disgraceful ruling, all because of the misuse of a mobile phone!

Apparently, in a Facebook post, he called for freedom for others and his fellow activists in Badinan, and somehow, this posed a “threat” to the security and stability of Kurdistan!

This so-called court, which itself is a danger to every individual life, sees freedom as a danger to itself. That is why, these cries and writings are like a red line for them.

A six-month prison sentence for a Facebook post, alongside repeated arrests, intimidation, and threats—so I ask:
• What is the punishment for selling 51% of the land and plundering the wealth and future resources of the nation?
• What is the punishment for the killing of tens of thousands of people in the civil war?
• What is the punishment for seizing all human resources—the youth, children, and families—who, under your oppression, are forced into the hands of ruthless traffickers and embark on dangerous migrations?
• What is the punishment for intimidating, threatening, and terrorizing the people?
• What is the punishment for starving teachers and civil servants, who to this day, as I write this, remain under tents in the cold, without food, without sustenance—while the authorities show no remorse and the oppressors refuse to return what was stolen?
• Who will punish those who degrade the dignity of the Kurdish individual?
• Who will punish these so-called leaders for their lack of accountability and betrayal of their responsibilities?
• Who will punish the very courts that have become mere instruments to enforce the agenda of their parties, families, and benefactors?

A short and dignified life is far more honorable than a long life filled with humiliation, disgrace, and oppression.

That is why I call upon my fellow citizens inside the country, activists, and those in the Kurdish diaspora—without fear and hesitation—to support their civil struggle, for they are the ones who genuinely care for and defend the cause of Kurdish freedom. They want to rescue the nation from the oppression and tyranny of the authorities. They strive to awaken public consciousness and to bring the just demands of the people to the attention of relevant authorities, both inside and outside the country.

We must all stand together to increase pressure for the release of Baroshki and other political prisoners of rights and freedom, and to uphold the demands of teachers, workers, and citizens.