Arbitrary detention of human rights defender Hemin Mamand

On 28 April 2020 at 1:00am, human rights defender Hemin Mamand was released from Erbil Centre Prison on a bail of 6 Million Iraqi dinars (approximately 4600 Euro). The charges against the human rights defender have not been dropped.

The human rights defender had been released on bail on 27 April 2020 from Erbil Centre Prison but was re-arrested on the same day and returned to prison.

On 7 April 2020, at 1:00 am, approximately 15 officers of the Kurdistan Regional Government police raided the house of Hemin Mamand and arrested him without presenting a warrant. The human rights defender is being held at Erbil Central Prison without access to his lawyer.

Hemin Mamand is a Kurdish journalist and human rights defender whose work focuses on the issue of corruption in the Kurdish government, and on promoting freedom of expression in Kurdistan. His arrest took place a day after his release on bail.

On 5 April 2020, the human rights defender was released from Erbil Central Prison after paying bail of 5 million Iraqi dinars (approximately 4,000 euros). He had been arbitrarily detained for 13 days following his violent arrest by the police of the Kurdistan Regional Government. His detention was illegal as according to the law of the Kurdistan Region, those detained without charges should be released on bail after 24 hours of detention.

He remains under investigation in connection with a social media post where he criticised the economic measures taken by the Kurdish government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak as violating the economic rights of the Kurdish people. His most recent arrest is likely to be linked to this ongoing investigation.

Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned about the continued targeting of Hemin Mamand which is believed to be motivated solely by his peaceful and legitimate human rights activities and his exercise of the right to freedom of expression. It calls on the authorities in the Kurdistan Region to immediately and unconditionally release the human rights defender and cease his harassment.

On 24 March 2020, human rights defender Hemin Mamand was arrested by the police of the Kurdistan Regional Government at his house in Erbil. He remains in detention without charges.

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Hemin Mamand is a Kurdish journalist and human rights defender. He has previously worked with Azhan newspaper and Mewda press, focusing on the issue of corruption in the Kurdish government, and promoting freedom of expression in Kurdistan.

On 24 March 2020, at around 9:00 pm, four cars belonging to the Kurdistan Regional Government police surrounded the house of Hemin Mamand. The police violently arrested him without presenting a warrant. During the arrest, the officers also physically abused his mother and brother. Hemin Mamand was taken to Eskan Police Station, where he was interrogated for several hours without the presence of his lawyer. He was later transferred to Erbil Central Prison where he is currently detained without charges.

The arrest of the human rights defender is linked to a complaint submitted by the Governor of Erbil to the Public Prosecution, regarding a social media post where Hemin Mamand criticised the economic measures taken by the Kurdish government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak as violating the economic rights of the Kurdish people. The investigative judge ordered his detention until 2 April 2020. His request for release on bail was rejected and his detention may be extended.

Hemin Mamand has been arbitrarily detained on multiple occasions in the past, in connection with his participation in peaceful anti-corruption protests. He has also received several death threats aimed at silencing his human rights work, and his family has been frequently harassed by the authorities.