Lalezar defense alleges political pressure behind trial delays
Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah
Lawyers representing detainees in the Lalezar case accused the Al-Sulaymaniyah Criminal Court on Wednesday of delaying proceedings and yielding to political pressure, urging the Kurdistan Region's judiciary to safeguard judicial independence and uphold the rule of law.
Defense lawyer Aryan Burhan told a press conference that the court has suspended proceedings for more than a month. He argued that keeping the detainees in custody for nearly 11 months without completing legal procedures, alongside allegations of torture and ill-treatment, violates the Iraqi Constitution, international human rights agreements, and the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The Kurdistan Region's Court of Cassation had formally requested the case file 12 times, but the Al-Sulaymaniyah court refused to transfer it, preventing the defendants from exercising their right to appeal, Burhan said. “Justice should not become a victim of political disputes or interests.”
At a separate press conference, Awat Sheikh Jangi, sister of People's Front Party (PFP) leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi, appealed to Kurdish leaders to help resolve the case, maintaining that holding several Peshmerga members for nearly 11 months without a final verdict is neither legally nor morally acceptable.
If her brother and the other defendants are found guilty, they should face legal accountability, she noted, while insisting that Peshmerga members with no connection to the case should be released.
The case stems from armed clashes in central Al-Sulaymaniyah on Aug. 31, 2025, between security forces and guards assigned to Lahur Sheikh Jangi after authorities issued an arrest warrant. Sheikh Jangi and his brothers, Polad and Aso, were arrested after security forces raided their residence at the Lalezar Hotel.
The Second Criminal Court in Al-Sulaymaniyah indefinitely postponed the trial on May 14 after hearing testimony from one witness and reviewing part of the case file. The main complainants, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leader Bafel Talabani and Qubad Talabani, did not attend the hearing. Defense lawyer Dana Taqi Al-Din has previously argued that the evidence is “weak” and that the case carries “a clear political dimension.”
Read more: Arresting Lahur Jangi in Al-Sulaymaniyah: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
