German-Kurd kidnapped in Baghdad by unknown group

"His family, but also we as the Kurdish community, are very worried,"

Kurdistan 24 2021/12/11 23:15

Bakhteyar Ibrahim during a visit to the Kurdistan Region (Photo: Bakhteyar Ibrahim/Facebook)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Bakhteyar Ibrahim, a Kurd from Germany, and Hasan Cuma from the al-Nahar newspaper were kidnapped by an unknown group in Iraq in August, the Kurdish Community in Germany (KGD) said in a press statement on Friday.

Ibrahim is a member of the Kurdish Community in Germany.

Deutsch-Kurde im Irak entführt – Appell an die Bundesregierung - Kurdische Gemeinde Deutschland e.V.

⁦@AuswaertigesAmt⁩ ⁦@ABaerbock⁩ ⁦@dpa⁩ ⁦@SPIEGEL_EIL⁩ ⁦@BILD⁩ https://t.co/BHdY7qswdc
— Kurdische Gemeinde Deutschland ☀ (@KGDOnline) December 10, 2021

According to the KGD press release, his family is worried and has called on the German government to do everything possible to secure his safe release.

"His family, but also we as the Kurdish community, are very worried," for Ibrahim, the KGD said in the press release. "There has been no sign of life from him."

Ibrahim may have been abducted for political reasons. He is the head of the Kurdistan Israel Friendship Association.

"The kidnapping of Bakhteyar Ibrahim is politically motivated," KDG co-leader Mehmet Tanriverdi told Kurdistan 24, adding that Ibrahim has promoted Kurdish rights in Germany.

"The German, Iraqi and Kurdish government should do everything to save the life of Bakhteyar," Tanriverdi said.

Unidentified persons have kidnapped and killed dozens of activists in Baghdad and southern Iraq in the last few years.