Ba’ath Laws as an Achievement for the KDP

Niyaz Abdullah – Journalist and Activist

On July 30, the Duhok court invoked the same Ba’ath regime law used against Peshmerga, political prisoners, and opposition forces to bolster its repressive powers against journalist Sulaiman Ahmad. Article 156 of the Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969, amended in 2003 by the Kurdistan Regional Parliament to Law No. 21, consists of six articles designed to suppress and protect an oppressive regime. The re-application of these Ba’athist laws is an insult to the Peshmergas and prisoners martyred or imprisoned under Saddam Hussein. This law was suspended in June 2003 during the coalition interim rule but was later amended by the Kurdistan Parliament.

The case of journalist Sulaiman Ahmad, who faces a political sentence similar to Badinan prisoners, raises a serious question: Why, after 55 years of the Iraqi Penal Code and 33 years of self-governance, do Kurdistan Regional Courts under KDP rule still cling to Article 156? Despite having laws such as the Journalism Law, the Right to Information Law, the Law on Organizing Demonstrations, and the Law on NGOs, the courts remain inactive against journalists in civil matters. Instead, they rely on Ba’ath-era laws, which serve as tools of revenge, torture, and punishment, becoming an easy means for the KDP to repress journalists.

The implementation of Ba’ath-era laws against journalists allows the KDP to claim it is maintaining security and arresting criminals. However, the party simultaneously engages in false displays of Kurdish nationalism and smear campaigns against journalists and human rights defenders. These individuals are easily accused of undermining the “security, stability, and sovereignty of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s institutions” under the guise of the law. Meanwhile, the KDP itself has compromised a significant portion of Kurdistan’s national security, lost its legitimacy, and disrupted the Kurdistan Parliament through the courts.

The KDP’s persistent use of Ba’ath regime laws against journalists and freedom fighters only fuels corruption within its power circle and its prime minister. This practice tarnishes Kurdistan’s democracy, casting it into the black pages of shame. Instead of persisting with these oppressive tactics, the trial of Sulaiman Ahmad should be annulled, and all other journalists, including Sherwan Sherwani and Qareman Shukri, sentenced under Article 156, should be released.

Harki

I am a dedicated member of the Syndicate of Kurdistan Journalists with over seven years of experience in both local and international press. My background includes roles as an editor, translator, and social activist. Through my work, I am committed to ending corruption and human rights violations by uncovering and sharing the truth about what is happening in Kurdistan.