ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – A court in Sulaimani on Wednesday postponed the trial of detained New Generation Movement (NGM) leader Shaswar Abdulwahid to August 21, according to The New Region’s reporter on the ground.

Abdulwahid was arrested by security forces at his residence in Sulaimani on Tuesday night. His party initially accused Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)-affiliated forces for the arrest, but Sulaimani’s Police later confirmed that the NGM leader was arrested by their forces.

He was set to appear before court on Wednesday, but the hearing has now been postponed to Thursday next week, August 21.

Even in the case of further postponement of the trial, Abdulwahid will remain in detention until August 24 and is not eligible for release by bail, The New Region has learned.

A judicial decree dated August 3 seen by The New Region states that Abdulwahid was to be arrested under article 431 of the Iraqi Penal Code and faces a sentence of six months in prison.

Article 431 of the Iraqi Penal Code states: “Whoever threatens another with committing a felony against himself or his property, or against the person or property of another, or with attributing or disclosing dishonorable matters in cases other than those specified in Article 430, shall be punished by detention.”