Islamic Union’s election campaign team of Islamic Union in Al-Sulaymaniyah arrested
Shafaq News/ The head of the Kurdistan Islamic Union electoral list inAl-Sulaymaniyah, Mustafa Abdullah, announced on Friday that his campaign teamwas arrested by security forces last night while hanging posters and electionmaterials.
In a video statement posted on his official Facebook page, Abdullahsaid, "Members of the team were arrested and subjected to harsh treatmentand prolonged interrogation before being released."
"Authorities are preventing our campaign from hanging posters,while others are placing their materials in illegal locations during theday."
He clarified that his team was operating at night "to avoid trafficand congestion, but despite adhering to the law, they were detained for 35minutes in the Tasluja area."
Abdullah described the incident as a failure on the part of theauthorities to honor their commitments to ensuring freedom in electioncampaigning.
Currently, the Union has five seats in the Kurdish Parliament.
Al-Sulaymaniyah, home to more than one million registered voters, is akey battleground in the upcoming elections.
The head of the Iraqi Electoral Commission, Judge Omar Ahmed Mohammed,announced that the campaign for the Kurdistan parliamentary elections will takeplace from September 25 to October 15.
“1,190 candidates have registered to run in the Kurdistan elections,representing 136 electoral lists.” He explained.
In June 2024, President Nechirvan Barzani issued a regional decreescheduling October 20, 2024, as the official date for the Kurdistanparliamentary elections.
The vote will see the election of 100 lawmakers, representing thegovernorates of Iraqi Kurdistan: Erbil (34 seats, including one for Christiansand one for Turkmen), Halabja (three seats), Al-Sulaymaniyah (38 seats,including one for Christians and one for Turkmen), and Duhok (25 seats,including one for Christians).
