Kurdish opposition leader’s trial adjourned until next week after Thursday hearing

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than four months after his first court appearance, detained Kurdish opposition figure Lahur Talabany appeared before a court in Sulaimani on Thursday, but the case was adjourned until next week, his lawyer said, citing the “large volume of case files” and “strict security surveillance” surrounding the court.

“The court session began at 9:15 a.m. today. The defendants were present, and the session lasted for one hour and 15 minutes. However, due to the large volume of case files, the judge decided to postpone the next hearing until next Thursday, May 14,” Dana Taqiyadin told Rudaw.

Taqiyadin added that the court was under “strict security surveillance,” though authorities “moved our session forward this time.”

Talabany and his brother, Polad, along with dozens of their security guards, were arrested following a standoff with Sulaimani security forces in August 2025.

Lahur previously served as co-leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) before being ousted in July 2021. He later founded the People’s Front (Baray Gal), an opposition party largely composed of his former supporters within the ruling PUK.

Authorities have accused him of conspiring against PUK leader Bafel Jalal Talabani, including allegedly plotting to assassinate him and fueling acts of sabotage in Sulaimani. The People’s Front has repeatedly rejected the accusations, describing them as politically motivated.

Talabany first appeared in court on January 12, but no evidentiary hearing was held. His lawyers later requested that the case files be transferred to the Court of Cassation in Erbil, the Kurdistan Region’s highest judicial authority.

After several delays in resuming proceedings, Lahur and Polad launched a hunger strike on April 19, ending it five days later after Sulaimani Asayish pledged to transfer their cases to Erbil.

“We have requested the transfer of the cases to the city of Erbil nine times, but so far our request has not been accepted,” Taqiyadin told Rudaw in April.

A lawyer from Lahur’s defense team also said that more than 200 detainees connected to the case had been released.

Amid the controversy, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani stressed on April 21 that all court cases in the Region must proceed without “interference or pressure” and be handled through proper legal channels in line with the principles of justice.

Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for the presidency, further emphasized that President Barzani’s position has been clear from the outset: the judiciary must resolve the case “in due time and in accordance with established procedures.”