In South Kurdistan, HDP members are pressured by the KDP’s intelligence service to spy on each other. Repression against those politically persecuted from Turkey has increased in recent months.
The HDP representation in Hewlêr (Erbil) has denounced the repression against the party in South Kurdistan and called on the KDP to release detained members. Earlier, relatives of Nimet Güneş and Hesen Kaçar visited the HDP representative office. The two HDP members had been detained by security forces in Hewlêr over a month ago.
HDP representative Mizgin Ari told RojNews: "Our members in Hewlêr, Zakho and Duhok have been subjected to massive repression for four months. They are summoned individually to the Asayish (Public Security). Our members are persecuted in Turkey because of their political opinions. This is why many have come to South Kurdistan; they are also at home here. South Kurdistan must not become a dungeon for them."
According to Ari, those involved are being pressured by the Kurdistan regional government authorities to act as agents. "Are brothers and sisters supposed to spy on each other? Is this supposed to be espionage for the Turkish state? Our members have done nothing wrong and the Asayish cannot pin any crime on them. If the Parastin [secret service] does not release them, we will go to the UN headquarters and the parliament," the HDP representative announced.
