MESOP NOTEBOOK : Anti-Corruption Kurdish Journalist Kawa Garmyani‌’s Case Remains Unresolved

27-3-2014 – SLEMANI/ Kurdistan region, KNNC– Zakho Ahmad, one of the main suspects in the assassination of the anti-corruption Kurdish journalist Kawa Garmyani surrendered himself to the police on Wednesday. Zakho Ahmad, Electricity Manager of Garmyan/ Kalar city, 139 km southeast Slemani, was arrested according to Article Two which is related to those who commit terror.   

Kawa Latif, volunteer lawyer in the case of Garmayni told KNNC that this is the second time Zakho has been arrested and the court has also issued a decision for another four suspects in the case to be arrested, one of them is Mahmud Sungawi. Kalar Primary Court issued a decision on 3/3/2014 to arrest Mahmud Sangawi, a military commander of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). In a phone call on July 2012, he threatened Kawa; the audio went viral on social networks and YouTube. Kawa filed a complaint in Kalar Primary Court, but it was of no use. He even asked the American Consulate representative in Slemani for protection. 

Sungawi was arrested for some time. Nevertheless, Kalar Criminal Court released him on 21/1/2013. His release brought about demonstrations and condemnation by journalists, civil society activists, university teachers and students, as well as the public. There have been many statements by Kurdish lobbies and NGOs in Europe to put pressure on the Kurdistan Regional Government to reconsider the decision, but he is walking in the city freely.

Karwan Ahmad, Garmyani bother, told the Kurdish weekly Awene newspaper that he himself saw Sungawi strolling with his car followed by another car of his bodyguards. “I asked the security establishments to arrest those who have been accused of killing my brother,” Karwan said. 

Kawa Garmyani was known as an anti-corruption Kurdish journalist who was investigating corruption of high-ranking officials in Kalar when he was killed in his parent’s house on December 5, 2013. Kawa was the Editor-in-Chief of Garan ‘Travel’ Magazine for some time until he became the Editor-in-Chief of Rayal Magazine and published 15 issues. He wrote for the two prominent independent newspapers in Iraqi Kurdistan, namely Hawlati (The People) and Awene (The Mirror). He also wrote for other media outlets including Azadi ‘Freedom’ Radio, various Communist Party Outlets and Chawder Newspaper (The Observer).