Sulaimani Court Sentences New Generation Leader Shaswar Abdulwahid to Six Months in Prison
A security source told Kurdistan24 that Sulaimani police, acting on a judge’s order, arrested Abdulwahid in connection with a complaint filed by former Kurdistan Parliament lawmaker Shadi Nawzad, accusing him of making threats.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Sulaimani Criminal Court announced that Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of the New Generation Movement (NGM), has been sentenced to six months in prison in absentia under Article 431 of the Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969, which pertains to threats.
According to the Sulaimani Investigation Court’s Second Criminal Branch, the arrest order was issued on Aug. 3, 2025. The court ruling stated that Abdulwahid was convicted and sentenced to six months of imprisonment based on the aforementioned article.
On Tuesday, a security source told Kurdistan24 that Sulaimani police, acting on a judge’s order, arrested Abdulwahid in connection with a complaint filed by former Kurdistan Parliament lawmaker Shadi Nawzad, accusing him of making threats.
The source added that Abdulwahid had already been convicted in absentia the previous week and that another case against him had been filed over voice recordings allegedly containing threats.
Sulaimani police confirmed the arrest, noting that it was carried out by regular police forces under judicial orders, dismissing social media claims that a special security unit had raided Abdulwahid’s residence.
Police spokesperson Sarkawt Ahmad told reporters in a press conference on Tuesday that the arrest followed legal procedures and was based on a valid court warrant.
Previously, a security source told Kurdistan24 that Abdulwahid’s arrest stemmed from Nawzad’s complaint and was prosecuted under Article 431 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which specifically addresses threats.
The source reiterated that he had been sentenced in absentia the week before and that another complaint involving audio recordings was also registered against him.
