IHRCR Delegation Meets Detainees as Lahur Sheikh Jangi Issues First Remarks from Custody
Peregraf
In his first public remarks since being detained, Lahur Sheikh Jangi, leader of the People’s Front, addressed allegations of torture and forced confessions while in custody. He made the comments during a visit on Tuesday by a high-level delegation from the Independent Human Rights Commission in the Kurdistan Region (IHRCR), which met with him and other detainees at Kani Goma prison.
The delegation, acting on the directive of Commission President Dr. Muna Yaqo, traveled to Sulaymaniyah to assess the conditions of those arrested after the violent events known as the “Lalazar incident.”
Jangi Speaks from Detention
During the meeting, Jangi told the delegation that he was in “good health,” being kept in a private room, and had all his needs met. He said he had been able to speak with his family via video call and that security forces had provided him with books he had requested.
While not entirely denying the possibility of mistreatment at other times or locations, Jangi specifically denied recent reports of abuse, stating: “Since my transfer to the Asayish prison in Kani Goma, I have not been subjected to violence or torture, nor forced to confess.” He added that no cameras or recording devices were used during his interrogations.
Jangi also asked that his case proceed through proper legal channels and urged the Human Rights Commission to monitor the process. He further stated that prior to the events, he had warned representatives of the United States, Britain, France, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that such clashes could occur.
The IHRCR confirmed that Jangi has the right to meet with his lawyers and said the issue of legal access would be resolved soon.
Other Detainees’ Conditions
The Commission’s team also met with a number of other detainees, described as members of Jangi’s force. According to the investigation, 162 individuals remain in custody. Security forces informed the delegation that five people were killed in the clashes — three security personnel and two of Jangi’s fighters. They also said detainees are in good condition and that some of their families have been allowed daily visits.
The Commission urged families of missing persons to visit its Sulaymaniyah office to obtain information about their relatives. The IHRCR is the first official body to visit the detainees since the incident.
The Lalazar Incident
The visit comes four days after deadly clashes broke out in Sulaymaniyah on August 22, when security forces attempted to execute an arrest warrant against Jangi at the Lalazar Hotel, his residence and headquarters.
Security forces — including the Asayish, Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG), and Commando units — surrounded the hotel, but Jangi’s loyalists, known as the Scorpion Force, resisted. Intense gun battles and explosions shook the city for more than three hours. By the end, five people were killed, dozens injured, and more than 100 detained. Significant damage was also reported in the surrounding residential area.
Jangi, a former co-president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) who founded the People’s Front after being ousted in 2021, surrendered and was arrested along with his brother Polad and several senior aides.
The Lalazar incident has since deepened political rifts in the Kurdistan Region, with the PUK and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) exchanging sharp accusations, and raising concerns of wider instability.