Kurdistan
Corruption Without Borders: How the Barzanis Enriched Themselves at Kurdistan’s Expense
For more than three decades, the Barzani family has monopolized political and economic power in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, concentrating wealth and influence while systematically suppressing any opposition. Under the leadership of Masoud Barzani and his son Masrour Barzani, the region has witnessed a relentless increase in corruption, brutal repression of protesters, and widespread …
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Barzani’s Misplaced Hope for Dismissal of Kurdistan Victims Fund Case
By Michael Rubin March 12, 2024 On 30 January 2024, lawyers for the Kurdistan Victims Fund filed an expansive case against Masoud, Masrour, and Waysi Barzani and many of their key aides. The case alleges a number of crimes ranging from corruption and counterfeiting to torture and murder, and documents each charge extensively. For example, it …
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Back to Square One: The Case of Women Rights in Contemporary Iraq
As a result of the US-led liberation of Iraq in 2003, Iraqi society was forced to confront its past and inconsistencies, and a competition began between Iraq’s political and social components over who would play a key role in this new state and who would manage its resources Shi’a and Kurds fought for control of …
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The Illusion of Democracy in Kurdistan: Corruption and Authoritarianism Behind the Facade of Autonomy
On the morning of October 7 last year, the independent journalist Sherwan Shirwani’s family woke up to a horrifying scene. A large police force stormed their home in the suburbs of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Shirwani was chased inside the house and had a gun pressed to his head before …
A Systemic Pattern of Women Killing, the Result of 2020’s Women Rights’ Violations in Iraq
The year 2020 was difficult, globally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its associated human and economic losses. But the conditions in Iraq are always different, more precisely, always worse. The year started with the continuation of the peaceful organized protests, that have already begun in 2019, representing the free will of the citizens who …
The Loss of Dreams in Kurdistan, Iraq
Protest and demonstration are fundamental human rights, allowing individuals to express their opinions. As long as these actions remain peaceful, they should not be restricted or denied. A true democracy cannot exist without opposition or the peaceful rotation of power. No individual, no matter their strength, can hold onto power forever. Unfortunately, the corrupt government …
Corruption Serpents in Iraqi Kurdistan
Written by Arkan Radeef / Translated by Shermeen Yousif Today, Masrour Barzani, the youthful dictator, arrives in public to announce that the regional administration owes $27 million, although according to reports, this amount is insignificant in comparison to the fortune owned by the Barzani and Talabani families! Despite this, they are requesting that individuals clench their stomachs and …