Masoud Ali Haji was sentenced to three years and six months in jail, lawyer Bashdar Hassan told reporters, calling the decision “shocking.” Sherwan Taha Amin was given two years and six months jail time.
Abbas Ali and Bandawar Ayub were each sentenced to a year and two months, and Hassan expects they will be released soon on time served.
The four were among dozens of people arrested during anti-government protests over unpaid wages in Duhok last year. They were accused of forming a group to support Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and establishing a political party with Iraqi President Barham Salih to undermine the stability of the Kurdistan Region.
Their first court hearing in July was attended by a United Nations representative and diplomats. Their second and third hearings were postponed because of changes to members of the court. The delays drew the ire of family members and supporters.
Multiple cases have worked their way through the courts in connection with the Duhok protests. The first group to be put on trial - Sherwan Sherwani, Shvan Saeed, Ayaz Karam, Hariwan Issa, and Guhdar Zebari - were found guilty of endangering national security and sentenced to six years in jail. Another six were released last month on time served.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has come under fire for the prosecutions. European diplomats in June said they were concerned that “basic fair trial standards have not been respected” during the prosecution of another group of Duhok detainees.
Erbil has defended the trials, stating that the courts are independent and has requested assistance from the UN and foreign missions to strengthen the legal system and train judges.
