Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of Iraqi Kurdistan’s opposition New Generation Movement, has been detained in Sulaimaniyah until 24 August on charges including defamation and threats against former MP Shadi Nawzad, linked to a 2019 complaint. Authorities cite a six-month prison sentence issued in absentia after he repeatedly failed to appear in court, while his allies claim the arrest is politically motivated and ordered by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed, and PUK Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani.
The detention, less than three months before Iraq’s parliamentary elections, follows Abdulwahid’s criticism of delayed public sector salaries and comes amid ongoing legal disputes tied to his business interests in the region.
