Election Monitor Reports 501 Propaganda Cases, 359 Observer Expulsions in Iraq Vote
Election monitor Shams Network reported 501 propaganda cases and 359 observer expulsions during Iraq's parliamentary vote. The group documented widespread procedural violations despite a 56% biometric participation rate.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Shams Network for Election Monitoring announced on Wednesday, detailed findings from its observation of Iraq’s sixth parliamentary elections, revealing hundreds of recorded violations including cases of election propaganda, obstruction of monitors, and procedural irregularities.
Speaking at a press conference, Hogr Chato, head of the Shams Network, stated that the organization deployed 5,089 observers across all 18 provinces of Iraq. Through their coordinated work, observers submitted 18,168 individual reports covering various aspects of the electoral process.
According to the network’s assessment, the participation rate of voters aged 18 and above reached 41 percent of total eligible voters, while biometric records indicated that 56 percent of registered Iraqis cast their ballots.
The Shams Network documented multiple categories of violations and irregularities, including 501 cases of electoral propaganda conducted near polling centers and voting stations, in direct violation of election law. It also reported 415 cases where polling staff failed to clarify voting procedures or provide required information to participants, as well as 382 cases of voters carrying mobile phones inside polling stations, an act explicitly prohibited under election regulations.
In addition, 359 cases were recorded where independent observers were denied access or expelled from polling centers, many of which reportedly occurred during the vote-counting phase.
The parliamentary elections took place on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, across all Iraqi provinces, including the Kurdistan Region. Polling centers opened at 7:00 a.m. and closed at 6:00 p.m., with voting proceeding under heavy security presence.
The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) supervised the process through surveillance cameras installed in all centers, while security forces safeguarded ballot sites throughout the day. According to IHEC data, more than 20 million Iraqis were eligible to vote, including over 2.8 million voters registered in the Kurdistan Region.
In a separate development, the Secretariat of the Kurdistan Democratic Students and Youth Union announced that one of its members, Amanj Abdullah, was detained late Tuesday night in the city of Sulaimani by forces identifying themselves as members of the Kurdistan National Union (PUK) Security Agency (Asayish).
In its official statement, the union said that Abdullah was arrested at approximately 12:20 a.m. while returning home in the Bakrajo district, describing the incident as “an unlawful detention carried out without a judicial warrant.”
The union held the PUK’s security forces fully responsible for the safety and wellbeing of their member, urging that Abdullah’s fate be revealed “immediately” and that he be released without delay.
The statement also warned that if the demands are not met, the organization would resort to “all civil and legal measures necessary” to secure his freedom.
The reported detention, occurring amid Iraq’s national elections, has heightened tensions in Sulaimani and drawn attention to concerns over the role of security agencies and the protection of political activists during the electoral process.
