SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The trial of opposition leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi and the rest of the Lalezar detainees was adjourned on Thursday after the court in Sulaimani heard testimonies from six defendants. A new date will reportedly be set on Sunday.

“The trial was adjourned to an unknown date. It is not clear to when,” a source present at the hearing told The New Region, adding that “six testimonies were recorded, but Lahur Sheikh Jangi has not yet given his testimony.”

Dana Taqiadin, spokesperson for Jangi’s legal team, said in a press conference following the hearing that the court is set to notify them of the date of the next session on Sunday.

“The judge heard the testimonies of six suspects, all six of which recanted their previous statements, saying they had made those testimonies under torture and pressure. Therefore, the judge retook their testimonies,” Taqiadin said during the presser, noting that the testimonies were made “freely”.

The lawyer added that Jangi was not scheduled to testify during Thursday’s session, as the court is proceeding according to a list of detainees and hearing their testimonies one by one, but stressed that the leader of the People’s Front has expressed willingness to appear before court and defend himself.

In August 2025, forces affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) besieged the residence of former PUK co-chair Jangi, leading to the arrest of Jangi and dozens of his associates after a violent conflict that spanned hours and saw dozens killed and injured on both sides.

A total 27 people arrested during the Lalezar clashes remain in custody at two security-run facilities in Sulaimani, many of whom have gone on a hunger strike in protest of what they have described as inhumane treatment and torture in detention.

Of that number, 12 appeared before court on Thursday, including Lahur and his brother Polad.

On May 14, Jangi and his associates were put on trial at Sulaimani’s Appellate Court for their alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate Bafel Talabani, in a session that did not go on for long.

The hearing had been continuously delayed since the arrest of the opposition leader over a year ago, with Jangi’s lawyers demanding the legal proceedings be moved to Erbil for what they believe would be a more transparent and fair trial, while also decrying the reported human rights violations members of Jangi’s security team have been subjected to in prison.