Kurdistan opposition figure accuses PUK of crackdown

Shafaq News/ A prominent Kurdish opposition figure, Mulla Bakhtiar, has accused the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of a crackdown on dissent after a raid on his cultural center, the Jawdar Enlightenment Foundation.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Jawdar Foundation said a commando force had stormed its headquarters in al-Sulaymaniyah, taking control of the premises. Bakhtiar, a former member of the PUK’s Political Council, described the raid as a “dangerous threat to freedom of expression and thought.”

“I warn all the people of Kurdistan that any action against the Jawdar Foundation or my house in Khanaqin is a clear violation of freedom and a betrayal of the Kurdish political history,” Bakhtiar said in a video message.

He accused the PUK leadership of pushing the party towards chaos and warned that their actions could lead to a “frightening scenario.”

“We are the most loyal to the union and to the Kurdistan Region from all aspects and entities within the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan,” Bakhtiar said. “We work hard to resolve the issues between the union and the other parties.”