Politicians and rights groups voice concern over rights violations of hunger striking political prisoners in Iraqi Kurdistan as families plea with authorities to take action.https://t.co/oC3hbGuE7E pic.twitter.com/F18cr9P5FE
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The lives of political prisoners Mazlum Dağ and Abdurrahman Er are at risk, held alongside Islamic State (ISIS) affiliates and under deteriorating health amid an extended hunger strike protesting rights violations in the Iraqi Kurdistan prison, the detainee’s families told politicians on a visit to Erbil (Hewler) on Monday.
Dağ and Er have been on hunger strike for over two months, in response to unresolved human rights violations under confinement.
The detainees’ parents emphasised the need to separate the pair from ISIS inmates and voiced concern over harsh prison conditions, during the families’ meeting with politicians at the Kurdistan Democratic People’s Movement offices in Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital.
Mazlum’s uncle, Hamit Dağ, said that being held with convicted ISIS members posed a risk to life for Dağ and Er. Er’s mother Fatma said that their sons were being tortured, urging pressure on political authorities for support.
Kurdistan Democratic People’s Movement Secretary Hidir Rusi expressed opposition to Dağ and Er’s inhuman treatment and pledged support for the demands posed by the hunger strikers.
Meanwhile, the President of the Kurdistan Region Human Rights Council, the General Director of Prisons, and the Minister of Social Affairs of the Kurdistan Region announced the establishment of a commission to address the prisoners’ demands, Rojnews reported on Tuesday.
The pair are said to have been denied essential medical support, including vitamin B1, typically provided to hunger strikers. The prisoners suffer from extreme weight loss and difficulty in standing. Despite efforts by lawyers to intervene, no progress has been made on their behalf.
The Solidarity Initiative Against the Death Penalty recently issued an urgent appeal, warning that Dağ and Er’s health had deteriorated to life threatening levels. The Switzerland-based group called on authorities to meet the prisoners’ demands.
Authorities had given assurances of improvements to Dağ and Er’s confinement conditions in 2022, which ended the pair’s first hunger strike of nine days in the February of that year, though rights violations continued.
The two prisoners initiated a second hunger strike in September 2022, in response to the ongoing issues. The protest lasted for 14 days and concluded when the striker’s demands were promised to be met. Under on-going violations, Dağ and Er’s third strike began on 18 May.
Dağ and Er were arrested following an attack on the Turkish Consulate General in Erbil on 17 July 2019 and subsequently sentenced to death by a court of first instance.
