Kurdistan
President Masoud Barzani receives a group of Kurds from Kirkuk's Tuz Khurmatu on November 15, 2025. Photo: Barzani Headquarters/Facebook
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - President Masoud Barzani received on Saturday a young Kurdish man who was attacked by Iraqi security officers for carrying the Kurdistan flag on election day.
“No person or party has the right, under any statement or pretext, to insult the Kurdistan flag or to prevent it from being raised,” Barzani, who is the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said in the meeting, according to a statement from his office.
“Great amounts of blood and sacrifice have been given for the flag of Kurdistan. The Kurdistan flag is the flag of every Kurd and every Kurd has the constitutional and legal right to take pride in the flag and the achievements of their people,” he said.
The young man was reportedly beaten by Iraqi security forces for carrying the Kurdistan flag on Tuesday, election day, in the disputed Tuz Khurmatu region, south of Kirkuk. A video of the incident circulating online generated a huge backlash and demands that those responsible be punished.
One local resident, Mohammed Hussein, dressed in traditional Kurdish clothing, told Rudaw, “Why would they beat him? Aren’t we human beings? Kurds are a dignified community, and there should be no discrimination.”
“For Kurds, life here is not safe,” he added, expressing hope that “Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmens can live peacefully” in the ethnically-diverse area.
The Ministry of Peshmerga described the incident as a “clear violation of basic human rights,” saying that the Kurdish flag “is a symbol of Kurdistan's identity and pride,” recognized under the Iraqi constitution.
The ministry called on Iraqi authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and “bring those responsible for this act to justice.”
A soldier accused of carrying out the assault has been arrested, Major General Saad Maan, head of Iraq's Security Media Cell, told Rudaw on Tuesday.
“We consider the flag of the Kurdistan Region to be our flag, and this type of behavior is not allowed in any way, shape, or form,” he said.
“No person or party has the right, under any statement or pretext, to insult the Kurdistan flag or to prevent it from being raised,” Barzani, who is the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said in the meeting, according to a statement from his office.
“Great amounts of blood and sacrifice have been given for the flag of Kurdistan. The Kurdistan flag is the flag of every Kurd and every Kurd has the constitutional and legal right to take pride in the flag and the achievements of their people,” he said.
The young man was reportedly beaten by Iraqi security forces for carrying the Kurdistan flag on Tuesday, election day, in the disputed Tuz Khurmatu region, south of Kirkuk. A video of the incident circulating online generated a huge backlash and demands that those responsible be punished.
One local resident, Mohammed Hussein, dressed in traditional Kurdish clothing, told Rudaw, “Why would they beat him? Aren’t we human beings? Kurds are a dignified community, and there should be no discrimination.”
“For Kurds, life here is not safe,” he added, expressing hope that “Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmens can live peacefully” in the ethnically-diverse area.
The Ministry of Peshmerga described the incident as a “clear violation of basic human rights,” saying that the Kurdish flag “is a symbol of Kurdistan's identity and pride,” recognized under the Iraqi constitution.
The ministry called on Iraqi authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and “bring those responsible for this act to justice.”
A soldier accused of carrying out the assault has been arrested, Major General Saad Maan, head of Iraq's Security Media Cell, told Rudaw on Tuesday.
“We consider the flag of the Kurdistan Region to be our flag, and this type of behavior is not allowed in any way, shape, or form,” he said.
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