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The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is a political party which claims to be working for self-determination, human rights, democracy and peace for the Kurdish people of Iraq. As the dominant political power in Iraqi Kurdistan, they would almost certainly be able to secure Tarik Ramadan's release, were they so minded.
Correspondence with the PUK, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the major political power in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Correspondence with Ann Clwyd MP, the UK's Special Envoy to Iraq on human rights.
EPUK "Free Tarik Ramadan" campaign page - EPUK (Editorial Photographers United Kingdom and Northern Ireland) highlights Gary Trotter's campaign, 18 October 2007 .
Tarik on hunger strike - we are most disturbed to have heard from Tarik's son, Zihad, that Tarik began a hunger strike on 8 October.
Torture Routine in Kurdish Jails, Report Charges - IPS News report by Khody Akhavi, Washington DC, 2 July 2007. "Kurdistan's security forces, attached to the two largest political parties in the region yet out of the control of the government's Interior Ministry, routinely torture detainees and deny their due process rights, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch Tuesday ... ". Story refers to HRW's Caught in the Whirlwind report (available as PDF file).
Iraqi Kurdistan′s Downward Spiral - article by Kamal Said Qadir, published in Middle East Quarterly, Summer 2007. "Many Western commentators say Iraqi Kurdistan is a beacon of democracy in an otherwise uncertain Iraq. As much of the rest of Iraq descends into violence if not civil war, it is tempting for U.S. officials to point to the placidity of northern Iraq as a rare success. In many ways, Iraqi Kurdistan's progress since 1991 is remarkable. But while Kurdish officials and their growing coterie of U.S. consultants praise the region's progress, an increasing culture of corruption, nepotism, and abuse-of-power has both eroded democracy and, increasingly, stability. The backsliding is disappointing given once high hopes."
Caught in the Whirlwind - Torture and Denial of Due Process by the Kurdish Security. Report by Human Rights Watch Iraqi Kurdistan, published in July 2007. Available as PDF file.. "Security forces known as Asayish operate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, attached to the two dominant political parties in the region, and outside the control of the regional government's Ministry of Interior. The Asayish have held hundreds of detainees, particularly those arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses, without due process, for up to five years in some cases. Detainees have reported that torture or other ill-treatment during the initial period of detention were routine and commonplace in facilities under Asayish authority. This report details Human Rights Watch's concerns regarding the right to due process and conditions of detention for persons held in the custody of the Asayish. The report is based on research conducted in the Kurdistan region from April to October 2006."
Tarik friends and family photographs.
