Protest in Iraqi Kurdistan on the closure of former Slemani governor’s case

April 10, 2014 – shafaaq.com – SLÊMANÎ, Kurdistan region ‘Iraq’,— Dozens of civil society organizations, women’s organizations and activists in the human rights field protested on Thursday, in front of Slêmanî [Sulaimaniyah] Court to protest the closure of the case file of the former Mayor of Slêmanî, Zana Hama Salih Majid who is accused of financial corruption then releasing him while three employees who had been arrested on the background of this case have not been released.

The demonstrators held up banners calling for a general amnesty for citizens not officials, calling on the court to reconsider the issue of the three employees who have been victims of the former governor. The defense team for the former Governor of Sulaimaniyah, Zana Hama Salih, accused of dereliction of his duty and misuse of power last Monday said that Slêmanî court released him, while the three employees who went on strike were found guilty in the food case.

The defense lawyer, Araz Ahmed said that “his client was sentenced in 13th of last month in absentia to six years in accordance with Article 340 of the Iraqi Penal Code, noting that the court released him after being included by a pardon issued by the Presidency of the region in 2011. It is worth mentioning that the former governor of Slêmanî, Zana Hama Salih, who resigned and joined Change (Gorran) movement had been accused and three other women of wasting public money as Slêmanî courts have issued jail sentences for 7 years in prison against three female employees and six years in prison for the governor.

Hama Salih became mayor of Sulaimaniyah in 2007 and managed to stay in his post following the parliamentary elections of 2009 that led to a landslide victory by the Change Movement (Gorran), and despite initial rumors that he was a Gorran sympathizer. Zana was arrested on 7th April, accused of involvement in corrupt irregularities in the sale of agricultural land under Iraqi law article 307. It is estimated that $460 million has been stolen from the proceeds of local land sales to businesses and private companies since 2006. However, while Zana Hama Salih admitted taking bribes he maintained that the main culprits were other government officials including local Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leaders such as the mayor. Zana Hama Salih reportedly committed suicide on April 17, 2012 by hanging himself in his prison cell, officials said.