Teacher and activist Badal Barwari and journalist Omed Baroshki were set to appear in front of a judge in Erbil on Wednesday, but the hearing was adjourned because new members of the court had not reviewed case materials. An earlier hearing was postponed in July because some witnesses were unable to attend. A new date was set for October 12.
Their lawyer condemned the delay. “The judges could have studied the cases during this long time instead of delaying it once more, especially since our clients have been in prison for more than a year and one month,” Aso Hashim told media in front of the courthouse.
The two men were among dozens arrested in Duhok in the summer of 2020 after anti-government protests over unpaid wages. Five of their co-defendants were convicted in February on charges of “endangering national security,” but the cases of Barwari and Baroshki were sent back to the court for further hearings because of a lack of evidence.
“There is no evidence against them. There is no reason for all this delay. Everything is clear, there is no proof against them,” Barwari’s son Ari Barwari told Rudaw English ahead of the trial on Wednesday. “We just want to see some results.”
A member of the Kurdistan Region parliament condemned what he called “injustice.”
"They do not have the smallest document proving that these people were spies," MP Ali Hama Saleh told media outside the courthouse. "This in itself is a punishment, for they have been held for over a year in Asayish [internal security forces] prison and cannot see their family. What is happening now in the Kurdistan Region is the peak of injustice."
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has come under repeated fire from local and international watchdogs for the prosecution of Duhok activists and journalists.
Erbil has defended its record on freedom of the press and rule of law. In a statement in July, the KRG's office for international advocacy said the government has invited diplomatic missions to assist with judicial reforms. "The KRG is fully committed to the rule of law and to a fair and impartial legal process, and freedom of expression is a priority to its governance practices," read the statement, which was issued in reaction to criticism over the trial of another journalist, Qaraman Shukri.
Two other trials of Duhok detainees were also recently postponed, for similar reasons.
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a civil advocacy organization, on Tuesday said 81 Duhok detainees are on a hunger strike, some of them also refusing to drink water.
CPT’s Christopher Lee previously told Rudaw English they are worried about the men’s health. “We are very concerned about their condition as we have known about Badal and Omed before. They have lost weight since we last saw them,” he said.
The MP Saleh also said on Wednesday that Barwari has lost a lot of weight.
