Protester Killed as Security Forces Open Fire During Electricity Demonstration in Erbil Province
Peregraf
A civilian was killed and several others injured after security forces opened fire on demonstrators protesting electricity shortages in the Warte sub-district, part of Rawanduz district within the Soran administration in Erbil province.
At around 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, residents of Warte gathered on Hafez Bridge to protest the continued electricity crisis in the area, blocking the Hamilton Road in a renewed demonstration. Locals said the district had been without power for nearly the entire day. “We didn’t have electricity even for an hour tonight,” one protester said.
Security forces arrived on the scene shortly after and attempted to disperse the crowd. By 11:30 p.m., the situation escalated when forces opened live fire at the demonstrators. A protester identified as Hassan Rahman, also known as Hassan Sarbarzi, was shot in the chest and died at the scene. Footage circulating on social media captured the moment he was hit, with a voice in the background crying out: “Hasan!”
Witnesses told Peregraf that three other demonstrators were injured in the incident, with at least two transferred to Qasre Hospital for medical treatment. The video evidence and eyewitness accounts have sparked widespread outrage online.
In a Facebook post shortly before his death, Hassan Rahman had written: “Let’s go to the Hafez Bridge,” calling on residents to take part in the protest.
Mounting Tensions Over Power Crisis
The Kurdistan Region is facing growing unrest as electricity shortages grip towns and villages outside major cities. In many areas, residents receive only two to three hours of power per day, a stark contrast to previous years.
The crisis is exacerbated by the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) continued promotion of the “Runaki Project” (Light Project), which supplies 24-hour electricity to urban centers at rates reportedly four times higher than standard tariffs.
Protesters in Warta are calling for the normalization of the electricity situation to ensure conditions improve, so that—unlike the recent period—they may return to being as good as in past years. A protester at the demonstration said: "The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) accuses the Baghdad government of failing to send salaries, and considers Baghdad government responsible for creating the salary crisis while refusing to acknowledge its own culpability in causing the salary crisis. But tell me, is electricity not sent from Baghdad to the Kurdistan Region? The electricity is managed by the Kurdistan Regional Government itself and is distributed to our area - yet we don't see that electricity being fairly allocated to us."
The incident in Warte is the most violent clash to date over the power crisis and is likely to inflame further protests if demands are not addressed. Human rights advocates have called for an independent investigation into the killing and for the government to take urgent steps to resolve the electricity shortages fairly and equitably.
No official statement has yet been released by KRG authorities or the security forces involved.