Iraq issues arrest warrant for Kurdistan vice president

Iraq has ordered the arrest of Kurdistan Regional Government Vice President Kosrat Rasul after he called government troops sent to Kirkuk this week “occupying forces”.

Spokesman for the Supreme Judicial Council, Abdul Sattar Al-Birqdar, said in a statement that the Court of Inquiry has issued the arrest warrant because it believed Rasul’s comments incited violence.

“The court considered Rasul’s statements insulting and incite against the armed forces,” he said.

On Wednesday, Rasul issued a statement saying the Iraqi military operation in Kirkuk is another Kurdish genocide, in reference to the genocide that was inflicted on the Kurds in 1988 by the regime forces at the time.

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He went on to condemn the withdrawal of Peshmerga forces from the disputed city of Kirkuk.

Kurdish President Masoud Barzani condemned the issuance of an arrest warrant, saying in a statement that the court’s decision “is political and it clearly shows what the ruling mentality in Baghdad is like. Should a nation be collectively punished for expressing their opinion peacefully? Should a person be arrested for expressing his own opinion? It is this mentality that explains why no one can live with them.”

If found guilty, Rasul faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison for publicly insulting Iraqi forces under article 226 of the Iraqi penal code.