The people of Sheladize are being targeted by a detention operation in the aftermath of the protests where they raided a Turkish military base as a reaction of the murder of 4 civilians in Deralok by the Turkish state on January 23. Regional Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani of the KDP had made comments legitimizing the Turkish state attacks and said the protesters would be punished, after which the KDP asayish security forces took action.

On Sunday, dozens of people were detained for attending the Sheladize insurgency. Among the detainees are Tevgera Azadi’s Behdinan officer Mela Emin Oremari, two activists and NRT television Duhok representative journalist Guhdar Zebari. Civilian activists Bedel Berwari and Salih Rekani were also detained in house raids in Duhok.

NRT TV’s Duhok offices were also shut down in the evening on Sunday.

A petition has been started against the detention of protesters in Sheladize and Duhok and the NRT offices being shut down. Journalists, academics, intellectuals and writers have already signed the petition, which will be presented to the United Nations, the Iraqi Government and Presidency and the Kurdistan Regional Parliament.

The petition includes the following:

“As various sections of society, we stand against the detention of citizens in Behdinan, Duhok and Sulaymaniyah, and the shutting down of the NRT offices in Duhok. We will present the petition to relevant authorities. We demand the immediate release of the detainees and an end to the obstruction of journalists. We are calling on all parties to comply with the Kurdistan region’s and Iraq’s laws. The protests in Behdinan are within the rights of citizens. Citizens in the region have risen up against Turkey, an invading state. It is not our people but the soldiers who are in violation of the law. Turkish soldiers have settled in the Kurdistan region’s territory and they kill our people every day.”