Protests for the Release of Over 200 Detainees in Iraqi Kurdistan

Protests in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq reached their fifth day on Friday. Demonstrators demanded the release of over 200 protesters who were detained during recent protests. They expressed discontent over the dire economic conditions and unpaid wages. Protesters also called for the resignation of officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government's two main parties, the Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union. According to AFP, since last Monday, angry protesters have taken to the streets in the Kurdistan Region, setting fire to the offices of major parties. In Chamchamal, located 70 kilometers from Sulaymaniyah, protesters chanted slogans such as 'Death to the corrupt government, not to corruption.' In Rania, demonstrators shouted 'Killers must be punished.' On Tuesday, security forces shot dead 5 protesters. In Sulaymaniyah, police attempted to disperse dozens demanding the release of prisoners by firing into the air and using tear gas. Nearly 200 people have been arrested in Sulaymaniyah since the protests began. Gorran party activists claim that dozens more have been detained in various parts of Iraqi Kurdistan. Last week, the Gorran party and the Islamic Group of Kurdistan withdrew from the coalition government of the Kurdistan Region. Following the independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region, relations between Baghdad and Erbil deteriorated. The central government of Iraq deemed this referendum illegal and demanded that the Kurdistan Region hand over all its border crossings to the central government. Baghdad also took control of the oil-rich Kirkuk province by sending its forces there. In light of these pressures and rising domestic discontent, Masoud Barzani, the leader of Iraqi Kurdistan, resigned from his position. The Gorran party and the Islamic Group of Kurdistan have called for the formation of a transitional government, which has faced opposition from Nechirvan Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region. In response, Nechirvan Barzani called on the Kurdistan Parliament on Monday to set a historical date for elections within the next three months, which he claimed would help resolve the problems in Kurdistan. Nechirvan Barzani stated that people must understand that the region's income has halved since losing the Kirkuk oil fields. Following media reports regarding the killing of several protesters in Sulaymaniyah, Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, warned on December 19 that he would not stand by while citizens were attacked and that the central government would intervene.