Adham Barzani, a former member of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leadership, faces an arrest warrant issued by Erbil (Hewlêr) authorities, highlighting internal clan tensions and broader political implications in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
Kurdistan Watch revealed on Monday that the KDP-led Erbil Security Directorate and the Erbil Security Investigation Court issued arrest warrants for Adham Barzani in February while he was preparing a list of candidates for the Kurdistan parliamentary elections.
This warrant, citing Article 1 of Law 21 for threatening the security and stability of the KRI, has been distributed to all checkpoints, border crossings and airports in Duhok and Erbil provinces. However, the issuance of his arrest warrant was only made public.
Adham Barzani has faced pressure in recent years for criticising the KDP’s authoritarian policies in the KRI and the party’s cooperation with Turkey.
Due to his criticism, he has been prohibited from entering Erbil for over two years by direct order of KDP leader Masoud Barzani.
The arrest warrant is likely related to Adham’s efforts to create an electoral list in the Barzan region (northern part of the KRI, near the border with Turkey) and his announcement of a complaint against the KDP for the loss of civil liberties in the Erbil region, in the Federal Court of Iraq.
Recently, Adham announced an intention to challenge his exclusion from the KDP-controlled zone in federal court. The new arrest warrant appears to be an attempt to pre-empt this legal action. This development will not have been welcomed by Masoud Barzani, given the strict stance on dissent in the Barzan area.
“In Erbil, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) authorities continue to threaten basic human rights and target civil society actors despite announcing a new five-year plan to address human rights issues in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI),” the US-based rights monitor Human Rights Watch said in World Report 2023.
Adham’s influence is significant due to his lineage as the grandson of Ahmed Barzani, the most prominent Barzani figure of the last century. This heritage commands deep respect among the Barzanis and neighbouring tribes. Additionally, Adham receives significant financial support from the KDP rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party and Baghdad, enhancing his political leverage, and can be strategically utilised by Iran against the Barzani family.
News sources from Iraqi Kurdistan confirms that Adham was not directly informed of his arrest warrant. Instead, the warrant has been distributed to all checkpoints, border crossings and airports to facilitate his arrest. After nearly six months, Adham recently discovered the warrant and publicised the information.
Adham Barzani resigned from his position in the KDP leadership in 2020.