The High Committee for the Implementation of the Joint Security Agreement between Iraq and Iran has officially confirmed the evacuation of Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups’ bases in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The groups are now considered refugees, according to the committee’s statement issued on Tuesday, the deadline set by Tehran.
The statement outlined that these opposition groups have been relocated to an area further away from the border, with an emphasis on the disarmament of these groups, a key step in their reclassification as refugees according to the guidelines set by the Refugee Commission. It should also be noted that it was agreed that interactions with these groups would be permitted, provided that they maintain their civilian status.
To ensure continued security in the region, Iraqi security forces have been permanently deployed in these border areas.
The statement concluded by calling on “all parties to refrain from negative statements and to support the ongoing cooperative efforts for the mutual benefit of both countries”.
Iran has long demanded that Iraq expel or disarm Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraqi Kurdistan. On 28 August, both Iranian and Iraqi officials announced a bilateral agreement to dismantle the bases of Iranian Kurdish armed groups stationed in northern Iraq by mid-September.
These include groups such as the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDK-I), Komala and the Party for the Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), based in Erbil (Hewlêr), Sulaymaniyah and Asos.
