ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Tuesday that all who were detained in the Shiladze demonstrations have been released following an Amnesty International's report earlier this month that expressed concern over " the widespread arrest of activists, protesters and journalists following the protests."
"The five remaining detainees including Sherwan Sherwani were also recently released on bail," Dindar Zebari, the KRG's Coordinator for International Advocacy said in a statement sent to Rudaw English on Wednesday.
Following deadly airstrikes by Turkey on January 26, many locals protested and stormed a Turkish military base in the town of Shiladze that is located in the north of Duhok province near the border with Turkey.
Sherwani was detained in January 28 following the detention of more than 60 protestors. The Committee to Protect Journalist, citing his lawyer, said he was detained while traveling to Duhok to protest.
Zebari described the coverage of Sherwani's case as "misleading."
"The arrestees were detained in Shiladze police station and they admitted that they have encouraged the protestors to do violent acts during their investigation," he stated.
Sherwani regularly protests the KRG’s dominant parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and live streams them on his Facebook page.
"...some people who had political agendas in mind encouraged protesters for violent acts and as a result human and material losses happened including killing one police officer and injuring two more," Zebari said.
The KRG official acknowledged "four civilians from Shiladze were killed" due to the Turkish bombardments.
"As a result, a group of people that comprised of approximately 400-500 persons gathered to express their frustration regarding the bombardments and demanded that Turkey and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) take their military confrontation out of KRG territories and to end making the Kurdish civilians pay the price with their lives and property," he added.
Amnesty published its report on March 5, under the title "Iraq: Fist around freedom of expression tightens" as it criticized the detention process of security forces in the Kurdistan Region and its due process.
"While most of those detained were released on the same day, and some others were released on bail in the subsequent days and weeks, the three arrested in the area of Baadre remain detained and have yet to be brought before a judge," stated Amnesty.
Those held were charged with violating Article 156 of Iraqi Penal Code that deals with those who willfully act to violate the independence of the country, its unity, or its security.
"The families of those who remain detained have faced extra-legal administrative obstacles when attempting to visit them," claimed Amnesty.
Zebari responded by saying they were afforded legal counsel.
"They were provided with full rights such as the right of access to lawyers and family visits. The five remaining detainees including Sherwan Sherwani were also recently released on bail," he said.
Turkey has established roughly two dozen army bases mainly in Duhok province to gather intelligence and watch the PKK, which uses Duhok’s mountains as a corridor to send fighters into Hakkari and Sirnak in southeast Turkey to attack security forces.
Turkey has responded by unleashing relentless aerial bombardments using drones and jets, killing scores of civilians in the Kurdistan Region since 1992 when Ankara established its first army base in the region.
Since a short-lived peace process between the PKK and the Turkish state collapsed in July 2015, Turkey has intensified its bombing campaign against suspected PKK hideouts in Duhok and the Qandil Mountains, leading to more civilian deaths.
Turkey has said it will continue targeting the PKK in these mountains.