Parastin’s Campaign Against the People of Khabat
Diyar Harki – Founder of KurdFile
The Kurdistan Democratic Party’s Parastin intelligence service continues what can only be described as a campaign of character assassination against the people of Khabat.
There is no advocacy for chaos or sabotage. The narrative being circulated by the party’s intelligence apparatus is detached from the facts on the ground and designed to criminalize an entire community.
On that night, several youths took to the streets and burned tyres in reaction to the displacement of the people of Lajan. Two locations were set on fire. These incidents occurred. But identifying who committed these acts — and under what circumstances — requires credible, objective evidence. It does not require politically convenient accusations.
A confession attributed to a cadre of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) was reportedly extracted under torture. When party-affiliated figures respond mockingly, saying, “Did you expect us to kiss him?” they effectively acknowledge that physical force and intimidation were used. Any statement obtained under such conditions is legally and morally void.
In the latest wave of disinformation, the KDP has portrayed the protesters of Khabat as planning to burn down a local institute. If such a credible threat existed, why were security forces not visibly deployed to secure the building? Why was the public shown footage of a student bus rather than evidence of preventative security measures? Was the priority truly the protection of the institute and its people — or the calculated evacuation of specific individuals?
The central issue remains accountability. Intelligence institutions are meant to protect society, not to manipulate public perception or weaponize accusations against political rivals and communities.
Author Profile
- Diyar Harki is an independent investigative journalist and human rights advocate. As a member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), he focuses on exposing corruption and human rights abuses in Kurdistan and Iraq. He voluntarily contributes to Kurdfile Media.
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