Former Security Official Calls Lahur Trial a Politically Motivated 'Farce'

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Former security official Azhi Amin released a statement on Saturday fiercely criticizing the ongoing judicial proceedings involving Lahur Sheikh Jangi and his associates, characterizing the trial of the Lalezar detainees as a politically motivated "farce."

Amin alleged that current leaders of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), specifically Bafel and Qubad Talabani, are utilizing the court system to impose an oppressive administrative environment in Sulaimani while undermining the institutional prestige of the judiciary.

"The current PUK leaders of Debashan, just as they have humiliated all members of the leadership and political bureau of their party, want to implement that humiliation and the rule of the 'twin brothers' within the city and break the sanctity of the court," Amin stated.

The allegations arrive amid a highly sensitive legal process stemming from a violent confrontation that occurred in Aug. 2025.

The core of Amin's statement focuses on claims of severe prisoner abuse. 

According to the statement, Amin alleged that detainees have faced extreme physical and psychological torture designed to extract false confessions. 

"After three trial sessions for the Lalezar detainees, it has become clear that the trial is a farce, because the current PUK leaders want to show the people that justice and the rule of law are being implemented against them. Meanwhile, Bafel Hisameddin and Qubad Hisameddin, distant from human values and Kurdish ethics, want to use torture, humiliation, and inhumane, insulting abuse. After attacking the hotel and the homes and property of the people and the former co-leader of the PUK, and the martyrdom of several Peshmerga of the Security Council, their hearts are still not satisfied; they want to force the detainees into signing confessions and accuse them of an act they did not commit," Amin said.

The statement also pointed out:

"After the testimony of one of the witnesses inside the courtroom and before the eyes of dozens of people attending the hearing, including lawyers, judges, and representatives of foreign countries, it was more than confirmed that those confessions were signed under torture and they had abused his body as well. The true face of those cowards has been fully revealed to the masses of the people of Kurdistan and the "City of Sacrifice" [Sulaimani]."

He asserted that witness testimony presented during the trial demonstrated that the confessions were obtained under duress, which, according to his statement, violates the Iraqi Constitution, the penal code, and international human rights conventions that render such statements null and void.

The legal and political controversy deepened with concurrent claims regarding the safety of the defense attorneys.

According to a source cited in the reporting, the legal team representing Lahur Sheikh Jangi allegedly received severe threats directed at themselves and their families by individuals claiming to act on behalf of PUK leadership.

This escalating crisis reveals that these domestic legal tensions are actively being escalated to international observers.

The People's Front (Berey Gel) stated in a press conference that they have formally notified the United Nations and various international diplomatic missions regarding specific allegations of torture in the case.

By seeking external oversight, the involved parties are attempting to frame the trial not merely as an internal political dispute, but as a fundamental human rights issue that threatens the institutional credibility and international image of the Kurdistan Region.

Allegations Surround Court Proceedings

Azhi Amin's statement provided a blunt assessment of the recent trial sessions. He alleged that the current leadership in Sulaimani has employed "humiliation, and inhumane, insulting abuse" against the defendants. 

Amin claimed that during a recent hearing, in the presence of judges, lawyers, and foreign representatives, a witness testified to being tortured and forced into signing confessions.

He argued that the court should be prosecuting those responsible for the initial attack on the Lalezar hotel rather than the individuals who were targeted during the clash.

He stated:

"What is surprising is that a force, supervised by several suspects who were previously accused of terrorism and sabotage, attacked the nephews of Mam Jalal and members of the Kurdistan Region Security Council in the heart of the city using various weapons, prohibited explosives, artillery, mortars, and drones. Yet now, instead of holding them accountable for the blood of the victims of that night's tragedy, the court has come to try the people who were attacked. As the Kurdish proverb goes: "Until the owner of the house caught the thief, the thief caught the owner and tied his hands."

The defense team has detailed specific allegations of abuse regarding one of the detainees, a Peshmerga affiliated with Lahur Sheikh Jangi identified as "Hama Rash."

According to a memorandum the legal team directed to foreign consulates, Hama Rash was allegedly subjected to severe violence during his nine-month detention.

The lawyers claimed that his injuries included head trauma, knife wounds to his back, broken teeth, and actions resulting in permanent physical impairment.

During his testimony before the judge, Hama Rash reportedly recanted portions of his previous statements. Dana Taqieddin, a member of the defense team, told Kurdistan24 that the witness testified he had spoken under "great pressure" and threats of further violence.

According to Taqieddin, the defense requested that the detainee be examined by a specialized medical committee.

Trial Postponed Until Next Month

Amid these explosive allegations, the judicial timeline has been extended. According to the background report, the trial of Lahur Sheikh Jangi and the Lalezar detainees has been formally postponed.

Dana Taqieddin announced that the proceedings are now scheduled to resume on Wednesday, Jun. 3, 2026.

The postponement occurred in an environment described by the defense team as chaotic.

Taqieddin stated that on the morning of the last session, lawyers and relatives of the defendants faced physical pushing and were initially told that only four attorneys would be permitted to enter the courtroom due to space constraints, a restriction the defense team successfully rejected.

The legal team has also pushed for the principal complainants to appear in court. Taqieddin said the defense requested that Bafel and Qubad Talabani be present for questioning.

However, according to the lawyer's account, the judge declined the request, stating that they were not live witnesses to the event and their statements had already been recorded.

Political and Judicial Tensions

The allegations of witness tampering and torture are compounded by claims of direct intimidation against the defense counsel.

According to a source from the People's Front, Sulaimani Asayish (security forces) allegedly contacted the legal team following the May 14 session.

The source claimed the lawyers were threatened with consequences if they continued their aggressive legal strategy in future hearings.

Taqieddin confirmed that members of the legal team had received phone calls demanding they withdraw from the case.

While he noted that the exact source of the calls remained unclear, the callers reportedly invoked the name of the PUK president.

Taqieddin stated that the lawyers take these threats seriously and urged the Public Prosecution to take action, noting that such intimidation places a "question mark" over Sulaimani's reputation for freedom of expression.

International Missions Notified

In response to the alleged judicial and human rights violations, political actors aligned with the defendants have mobilized an international outreach campaign.

Sabir Abdulrahman, a leadership member of the People's Front, detailed these efforts during a press conference.

He stated that the party has requested official confirmation of the medical reports via the Ministries of Health and Interior, urging that the case be formally transferred to police jurisdiction.

According to Abdulrahman, the Human Rights Board and the Public Prosecution are now involved in the case.

He emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that "human rights violations in Kurdistan damage the Region's image in the eyes of consulates and the countries of the world."

The People's Front representative confirmed that they had previously held a gathering in front of the United Nations headquarters and had notified consulates, legal professionals, and the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region.

Abdulrahman indicated that the party plans to accelerate its efforts within the framework of the law to achieve a resolution.

The original incident driving this legal battle occurred in Aug. 2025, when a heavy confrontation broke out near the Lalezar Hotel in Sulaimani between forces loyal to Bafel Talabani and gunmen affiliated with Lahur Sheikh Jangi.

The clash resulted in casualties on both sides and the arrest of Lahur and dozens of his supporters, though many of the detainees have been gradually released over the past few months.

The trial of the Lalezar detainees continues to attract intense political, legal, and public attention, with proceedings postponed to June amid escalating allegations of torture, intimidation, and requests for international human rights oversight.