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Free Dr Kamal Campaign
On 26/10/2005 writer and jurist Dr Kamal Karim, an Austrian citizen of Kurdish origin, was abducted by unidentified armed men in Arbil. Two weeks later owing to public pressure, the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s representative in Sweden admitted that Dr Kamal was held in one of their prisons, awaiting trail for articles critical of KDP and its leader Masud Barzani. According to Dr Kamal’s letters from prison, his arrest is illegal and contrary to the established principles of human rights in Kurdistan and internationally. He claims that his arrest was ordered by (Sudad Barzani) head of KDP’s presidential office, though the Kurdistan Democratic Party is in a state of denial over this. He also claims that he was ill-treated and put in a dirty cell, as the result he is now in poor physical and metal condition. In protest against these bad prison conditions and his illegal detention, Dr Kamal went on hunger strike for 25 days. Despite an outcry form Kurds in exile and many calls from human rights organisations upon the Kurdistan Democratic Party to release Dr Kamal, he was tried by a secret and revolutionary-style court. Without any representation or any chance to defend himself and after only two hours of deliberation this so-called court sentenced him to 30 years imprisonment, a draconian punishment by any standard. This illegal conviction and sentencing is of great concern of Kurds in Kurdistan and in exile, especially after Dr Kamal’s renewed decision to go on hunger strike until death. It is necessary for us all to speak out against this draconian decision and to campaign to protect our right to freedom of expression. Therefore we have established (Free Dr Kamal Campaign) and will continue our efforts until we secure Dr Kamal’s unconditional release. Finally we call upon national public in Kurdistan and international civil societies, NGOs, newspapers and other defenders of human rights to support our urgent and immediate cause of releasing Dr Kamal, and in the long run of promoting freedom of expression, upholding the rule of law and protecting the independence of judiciary in Kurdistan form partisan interference.
Free Dr Kamal Campaign 25/12/2005
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