ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The People’s Front on Saturday called on authorities to end the “oppression” of its members and demanded the immediate release of the party’s jailed leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi, who was detained following violent clashes with Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)-affiliated forces in Sulaimani in August.

“We call upon the authorities to make efforts to stop the oppression, arrests, displacement, and persecution of members and supporters of the People's Front,” Shaduman Mala Hasan, a senior People's Front member, said on Saturday in a presser outside the United Nations’ regional office in Erbil.  

He claimed that Jangi’s house and property were “completely destroyed” and looted by PUK forces, and that “a large sum of money” belonging to Newroz SC, a football club owned by Jangi before his arrest, had been stolen.

Hasan called on UN member states, the Iraqi federal Government, the Federal Supreme Court, and the Kurdistan Region's judicial institutions to “exert pressure so that all armed forces are unified in practice and removed from the hands of parties, so that they are not used for political and partisan, and financial score-settling.”

In late August, PUK-affiliated forces in Sulaimani besieged the residence of Jangi, former PUK co-chair and current leader of the People’s Front, under the pretext of having a warrant for his arrest. The opposition leader refused to surrender to the forces, leading to violent armed clashes.

In addition to the loss of life, the escalations resulted in heavy material damage, including damage to vehicles and houses of civilians in Sulaimani.

Relatives of those arrested during the August clashes attended Saturday’s demonstration, saying they have not heard from their loved ones since the incident and only identified them through footage circulating on social media.

Prior to the escalations, Salah Hassan, spokesperson for Sulaimani’s Appellate Court told The New Region that Jangi’s arrest warrant was issued under Article 56 of the Iraqi Penal Code, adding that this Article does not require a prior notice as the suspect is accused of undermining public security.

The PUK-affiliated Kurdistan Region Security Agency (Asayish), following the clashes, announced that Jangi was arrested in accordance with Article 406 and Article 56 of the Iraqi Penal Code.

Article 406 stipulates the death penalty for any person charged with willfully killing another, while Article 56 relates to devising “a criminal conspiracy.”

At least three security force members were killed and 19 others were wounded in the clashes, according to the Asayish statement. There are no confirmed reports on the number of casualties from Jangi’s side.