Islamic party wants to bring back Mullah Krekar to Kurdistan

18.02.2014 – Shwan Barzinji – BasNews, Erbil – Founder of extremist group Ansar al-Islam Mullah Krekar could be released from prison in Norway and the Kurdish Islamic Movement (KIM) is requesting that he be repatriated to the Kurdistan Region.

On March 2012 Mullah Krekar, born Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad, was sentenced to five years in prison for threatening people, including Norwegian politicians, if they continued pursuing civil actions against him. Krekar is expected to return to court for a final trial. KIM spokesperson Abdullah Wartie told BasNews that they have received information suggesting that Krekar could be released shortly. The party has repeatedly tried to persuade Kurdish authorities to allow Krekar to return to the region.

“The accusations made about Mullah Krekar are baseless and false,” said Wartie.  

Krekar has appealed against his sentence but was arrested by the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) and the Norwegian Police and taken into protective custody and then incarcerated. The arrest took place after statements were linked to him, suggesting that others might take retaliatory actions against Norwegians if his civil prison sentence was implemented. Authorities in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have repeatedly asked for Krekar to be extradited from Norway. The death penalty is still used in the Kurdistan Region, but most death sentences have been changed to life sentences since Kurdish authorities took power in 1992. Norway has rejected the KRG’s request so far.