Three Iraqi parties dissolved for PKK links; appeals accepted starting August 1

Shafaq News/ The Election Judiciary Committee within the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq has dissolved three political parties for their links to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The parties are the Yezidi Freedom and Democracy Party, the Democratic Struggle Front Party, and Tavgari Azadi (the Kurdistan Free Society Movement).

The Council has ruled “to dissolve the three political parties, close their headquarters, and confiscate their funds, following all legal appeals as per Article 46/Third of the Political Parties Law.”

The decision, made by agreement, can be appealed as of August 1.

According to the 2015 Iraqi Political Parties Law, “political parties must operate independently of foreign influence and banned organizations.”

The Iraqi federal government recently issued an official directive requiring all state institutions to label the PKK as a banned organization.