Arrest of Rebwar Aref

The comrade mentioned in the post below has now been released.

On 4th of May 2005, a student protest was organized in Sulaymania in Iraqi Kurdistan against corruption in the city’s administration and poor academic standards in the universities. In this demonstration, Rebwar Aref, a member of the central committee of Worker communist party of Iraq, gave a speech that was greeted enthusiastically by the protesters. Comrade Aref is a well-known political figure and a former political prisoner of the Ba’ath regime who had a death sentence hanging over him. He is now responsible for the Campaign to try Saddam Hussein and Director of the International Federation of Iraqi Refugees. The comrade’s militant speech, his political record and the warm response of the crowd clearly infuriated the PUK security forces. They moved to arrest him.



Rebwar Aref was detained on 5th May 2005 and taken to the PUK’s main security office in Sulaymania. His fate is currently unknown. This is not the first time that the PUK has violated basic political liberties – PUK has even killed its opponents, not simply attempted to silence them with arrests and repression.



The life and safety of Rebwar Aref must be protected. We demand his immediate and unconditional release. Rebwar’s only ‘crime’ was his solidarity with the students of Sulaymania University and his active support for their just demands for a better education and basic rights.

PUK has a shameful history of persecuting political activists and banning the activities of the groups that do not share its political perspectives for Kurdistan. In July 2000 they closed the offices of the Worker communist party of Iraq, banned its activities and killed five of its members.



PUK claims to have guaranteed freedom of speech, political activity and association in Kurdistan. In truth, these freedoms are only granted to stooge organizations that are actually in the orbit of the PUK. Other socialist organizations and progressive individuals are constantly harassed, followed and persecuted by the PUK.



This must end. The full freedom and unconditional rights of the people of Kurdistan should be recognized and respected by PUK.

We make an international call to all progressive individuals, political parties, human rights and refugee organizations to defend Rebwar Aref, to demand his immediate release and condemn PUK for violation of freedom of political activities.