Security Forces Threaten Dr. Shayan Askari Following Video from 2018 Protests
Erbil, March 25, 2025 — Dr. Shayan Askari, a well-known academic and activist, has publicly revealed that he continues to receive direct and indirect death threats after participating in the 2018 anti-government demonstrations in the Kurdistan Region. Dr. Askari, who bravely stood alongside protesting teachers demanding a resolution to the region’s salary crisis, recorded a video during the demonstration that showed two men confronting him. He later discovered that these individuals were members of the security agency.
After sharing the video on his social media account, Dr. Askari became a target of a sustained campaign of intimidation. In a chilling message he recently received, the sender warned: “You have just become a target. Eliminating you someday is no big deal!” Dr. Askari highlighted that this pattern of threats is not new, citing multiple suspicious deaths of activists and critics in the region. He mentioned Mrs. Jihan, who died under mysterious circumstances in what was officially labeled a car accident, and Dr. Kazim, who claimed he was poisoned. Similarly, Warya Hama Karim’s suspicious death in an “accident” has raised further doubts about the safety of dissenters.
Targeting Critics and Suppressing Dissent
Dr. Askari directed his concerns toward the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), urging them to address these threats and stop the climate of fear created to silence critics. He warned that if these threats persist, it reflects a deliberate effort to suppress any voice that challenges the status quo. Dr. Askari further criticized the systematic targeting of critics, highlighting the ongoing imprisonment of Sherwan Sherwani and the Badinan detainees. He noted that Sherwani, who merely voiced criticism of the government’s actions, remains behind bars even after completing his sentence.
“In Erbil, if you are not aligned with the KDP, you have no place,” Dr. Askari said, expressing his concern over the deep-rooted discrimination faced by dissidents. He pointed out that critics, regardless of their legal rights, are either thrown behind bars or forced to publicly retract their statements within 24 hours, creating an atmosphere of fear and oppression.
Security Corruption and Political Influence
This incident exposes the ongoing corruption within the security forces, where political influence supersedes justice. Security agencies, rather than protecting public safety, continue to serve as tools to silence voices of dissent, ensuring that anyone who criticizes the government is swiftly dealt with either through intimidation, imprisonment, or worse.
Dr. Askari’s case highlights the urgent need for accountability and reform within the region’s security apparatus, where unchecked power has turned these agencies into enforcers of political oppression rather than guardians of public order.
This is the video recorded in 2018 Click here