Survivors of the 2011 Kurdish Demonstrations Speak Out: They Pulled Out Our Nails

 

By Harki D – Journalist

On February 17, 2011, a mass protest erupted in the Kurdistan Region, demanding justice, freedom, and an end to corruption. The demonstrators, many of them young activists, were met with brutal force by the security forces of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). At least 10 people, including children, were killed—a massacre that remains a dark stain on Kurdish history.

Now, 14 years later, survivors and eyewitnesses of that day are still haunted by the violence they endured. Speaking to Kurdfile, they share their painful stories of arrest, torture, and exile.

“They Pulled Out Our Nails” – The Torture of Detainees

Jawad Abdulrahman Mahmoud was one of the many protesters arrested in the aftermath of the uprising. He told Kurdfile that in early March 2011, he and others were detained and sent to Kani Goma prison, where they suffered horrific abuse.

“They blindfolded us, beat us mercilessly, and insulted us constantly. They even pulled out our nails as a form of torture,” Jawad recalled. See evidence in the video interview.

The conditions were so unbearable that Jawad was eventually forced to flee Iraq for his safety. Today, he lives in the United Kingdom, where he continues to fight for the rights of Kurdish citizens and expose the crimes of the ruling parties.

Eyewitness to the Killings: “The Regime Can Repeat This Easily”

Khalid Qadir, an ambulance driver on that tragic day, personally transported the bodies of the martyrs and the wounded. More than a decade later, he still carries the scars of witnessing the sheer brutality of the regime.

Khalid still has photographs of some of the victims, including Zmnako Rzgar, a young protester who was shot dead by government forces.

“I saw it with my own eyes. These were bullets from the KDP fighters,” he said.
“If they did it once, they can easily do it again to their own citizens.”

A Warning for the Future

The February 17 massacre was not just an isolated event—it was a message from Kurdistan’s ruling elite: dissent will not be tolerated. While many of the key figures in power at the time still rule today, the people they oppressed have not forgotten.

As Kurdistan faces growing economic hardship, corruption, and political repression, these testimonies serve as a warning: without justice, history will repeat itself.