Sulaimani Detainees of 'Lalezar Hotel Clashes' Granted Family Visits
KRG's rights body secures family visits for 'Du Pshk' forces detained by Sulaimani Asayish after deadly clashes, as a judicial probe into the PUK military operation continues.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Independent Human Rights Commission on Friday announced it has secured visitation rights for the families of detained fighters involved in last week's deadly clashes in Sulaimani, a significant development following a chaotic military operation that drew widespread condemnation and prompted a formal investigation by the Public Prosecutor.
In a public notice, the commission stated its ongoing efforts to determine the fate of individuals who have been unaccounted for since the events of August 22 have yielded a breakthrough.
"We inform the respected families of those individuals who were members of the 'Du Pshk' forces and participated in the battle of August 22 in Lalazar, and are now detained by the Sulaimani's Asayish," the statement read.
The commission confirmed that after coordinating with the General Asayish Directorate in Sulaimani, it was informed that relatives can visit the detainees on the upcoming Sunday and Monday, September 1 and 2, 2025.
This announcement offers the first official channel of communication for families of the detained forces affiliated with former Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) co-leader and current head of People's Front political party, Lahur Sheikh Jangi.
The visitation arrangements come a week after a pre-dawn PUK military operation transformed the Sarchnar neighborhood of Sulaimani into a conflict zone.
The saga began when a large contingent of PUK forces, utilizing tanks and armored vehicles, moved to execute an arrest warrant for Sheikh Jangi and his associates at the Lalezar Hotel, which served as the headquarters for his new political entity, the People's Front party.
A tense standoff escalated into a fierce, four-hour firefight, culminating in the surrender and arrest of Lahur Sheikh Jangi and his brother Polad.
The operation, however, left a trail of bloodshed and exposed deep political fissures.
While official figures confirmed three PUK force members were killed and 19 wounded, a source previously told Kurdistan24 that the casualties among the "Dupshk" (Scorpion) force were substantially higher, with an estimated "30 to 40 people" killed or wounded.
The unilateral nature and overwhelming force of the operation triggered immediate and severe backlash from across the Kurdistan Region's political and legal spectrum.
The KRG Prime Minister's Office stated it was "unaware of the operation until the final moments" and insisted that "the law must replace partisan decisions and violence."
The Independent Human Rights Commission itself had previously decried the "inappropriate military display" and highlighted the critical procedural error of using counter-terrorism forces instead of police to serve an arrest warrant. In a significant assertion of judicial oversight, the Presidency of the Public Prosecutor in the Kurdistan Region intervened, assigning the Sulaimani prosecutor's office to investigate the incident and issuing a stern reminder to the executive branch that it "must, with the utmost diligence, adhere to legal and constitutional principles in protecting the lives and dignity of citizens."
The fallout from the clashes extended beyond the initial arrests. In the days that followed, PUK forces seized assets linked to the Sheikh Jangi faction, including the headquarters of Zoom TV and the Newroz Football Club.
The conflict also took a personal turn when Aras Sheikh Jangi, another brother, reported exclusively to Kurdistan24 that his home had been stormed and looted.
The violence prompted the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to issue a statement expressing deep concern over the clashes, describing them as a source of anxiety for the entire region and calling for calm, dialogue, and respect for the rule of law to protect the stability of Sulaimani.
The Public Prosecutor's ongoing investigation, coupled with the Human Rights Commission's new success in facilitating family visits, signals a push by institutional bodies to reassert legal processes and transparency in the wake of partisan military action.
