KRG: HRW's recent report politicized

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Thursday stated a recent report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) on detaining Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Kurdistan Region was politicized.

Head of the KRG’s High Committee to Evaluate and Respond to International Reports (HCERIR) Dindar Zebari discussed the recent update in a press conference.

Zebari criticized the HRW’s latest report on the situation of IDPs, stating their accounts were politicized.

The HRW report released on Oct. 27 claimed Kurdistan Region security forces were arbitrarily detaining men and boys aged 15 and over who were fleeing Mosul and Hawija during the offensive against the Islamic State (IS).

“The report is too far from reality, and we strongly reject it because it is politicalized and it does not reflect the reality of receiving large numbers of IDPs in the Kurdistan Region,” Zebari said.

“HRW considers the locations where IDPs are welcomed and given shelter as detention facilities for the displaced fleeing from the war,” the KRG official added.

Moreover, Zebari explained all IDPs pass through three stages of screening where the first step is conducted by Peshmerga forces on the front lines.

The second stage is at the reception centers, and the third occurs at the permanent camps.

“This has been a transparent process where not only KRG is included, but the United Nations and other local and international organizations as well,” Zebari told Kurdistan24.

“Therefore, we completely deny HRW’s accusations,” he concluded.

Belkas Wallas, Head of Research at the HRW, told Kurdistan24 they are releasing their reports based on “international standards” not based on local procedures and norms.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany