In a bold and coordinated action underscoring its unwavering commitment to justice, human rights, and freedom of expression, the Dakok Organisation held synchronized demonstrations on 5 August 2025 across seven cities in the United Kingdom. These demonstrations were staged in response to the recent unlawful extension of prison sentences for two prominent Kurdish journalists and human rights defenders, Sherwan Sherwani and Omed Baroshki.
Dakok organised public gatherings in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Cardiff, and Newcastle, bringing together supporters, civil society activists, and members of the Kurdish diaspora. The purpose was twofold: to raise awareness about the worsening repression of journalists in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and to pressure UK political leaders into holding the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) accountable for ongoing violations of basic legal and human rights.
The Legal and Political Context
The demonstrations were part of a wider campaign condemning the continued detention and judicial persecution of Sherwan Sherwani and Omed Baroshki—both of whom are internationally recognized for their independent journalism and peaceful activism.
Sherwan Sherwani, despite having completed the required portion of his sentence under Kurdish law, has been arbitrarily denied transfer to a reformation facility and stripped of any rights to parole or conditional release. He was recently handed an additional six-month prison sentence based on an unsubstantiated accusation of threatening a prison official—an allegation that lacks due process and is widely considered a politically motivated maneuver to prolong his detention.
In parallel, Omed Baroshki was due to be released on 28 July 2025 after completing his original sentence. However, just two days prior—on 30 July 2025—the Duhok Court issued a fresh six-month prison term and transferred him to the Zirka Correctional Facility. His new sentence appears to be a direct response to a Facebook post in which he peacefully called for transparency regarding the fate of missing journalist Mulla Nazir. According to his family’s legal representative, Ahmed Piran, Omed’s re-incarceration is believed to have been personally ordered by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
Both Sherwani and Baroshki have endured repeated arrests, solitary confinement, and systematic deprivation of legal rights, in clear violation of Iraq’s constitution and international human rights obligations. Their cases have drawn widespread condemnation from global watchdogs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, who have cited them as emblematic of the growing authoritarianism in the Kurdistan Region.
Advocacy Beyond the Streets: Mobilising Political Pressure
Alongside the public demonstrations, Dakok launched a UK-wide advocacy campaign, calling on all its members and supporters to take direct action by contacting their local Members of Parliament (MPs). This initiative aimed to urge British lawmakers to:
- Raise the cases of Sherwani and Baroshki in Parliament and with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office;
- Apply diplomatic pressure on the Kurdistan Regional Government to secure the immediate and unconditional release of both journalists;
- Coordinate with other civil society organisations and human rights advocates to amplify awareness of these political abuses;
- Demand accountability for the perpetrators of unlawful detentions and systemic violations of freedom of expression.
Several members of the Dakok Organisation actively participated in this advocacy effort and personally wrote to their MPs. The following individuals submitted formal appeals as part of the coordinated campaign:
Particpant of Campain in London:
- Jawad Abdulrahman Mahmoud
- Sherwan Mohammed Hassan
- Razhan Rasul Ahmed
- Akam Latif Muhamad
- Bakhtyar Mohammed Sharif
- Hemn Khoshnaw
- Chaware Belal Awlla
- Aram Mohammed Rasul
- Friad Omar Mohammed Khan
- Karzan Muhamad Sileman
- Balen Salim Mohammed
- Hawkar Baeer
- Beryar Saleh Wesso
- Aryan Omar Mohammed
- Rebin Ramzi Khalid
- Hastiar Ebrahem Smayl
- Mohammed Sherko Ahmed Hamawand
- Daban Ibrahim Abdulla
- Sebur Shahab Wahid
- Jwtyar Hamad Nabi
- Ramadhan Mohammed Omer
- Zyad Asaad Aziz
- Ibrahim Hassam Rasul
- Ismael Mahmood
- Farhad Aziz Mohammed
- Bilal Ahmad Abdulla
- Abdullah Abdulkhaleq Abdullah
- Hawre Fatih Mohamad Fariq
- Mohammed Kader
- Dyako Adnan Abdulxaliq
- Sarws Mahmud Ahmad
- Redin Dara Saeid
- Ali Fayak
- Ali Esmail Jamil
- Shwan Abdulrahman Hars
- Reband Edres Walle
- Alan Younis Ali
- Mohammed Bahroz
- Ibrahim Ramzi Faqay Younus
- Rzgar Jabbar Muhamad
- Bashdar Ata Mohammed
- Rebin Haji Ibrahim
- Dlband Jamal Aziz
- Adam Yousif Muhammed
- Kochar Rafiq Ibrahim Ahmad
- Alan Mahmoud Ahmad
- Mohamed Amjad Qadir
- Sarbast Saeed Salih
- Hema Abdulla Ahmed
- Hema Ahmed
- Diyar Harki Harki
- Ahmad Dlawar Osman
- Rezhin Abdull
- Jihad Omer Ahmed
- Hawar Gharib Raza
- Nabard Akram Rashid
- Sherko Abdubakir Hamza
- Barham Khalid Hama
- Rojgar Rzgar Sadeeq
- Diyar Hussen Sofi Aziz
- Mahdi Khalil
This mobilisation effort represents a critical aspect of Dakok’s broader strategy to link grassroots activism with institutional advocacy, ensuring that voices from the Kurdish diaspora are heard not only in public spaces but also within the corridors of power.
A Message of Solidarity and Resistance
By demonstrating in multiple UK cities and engaging directly with elected officials, Dakok reaffirmed its role as a leading Kurdish civil society organisation in the diaspora. The events sent a clear and unified message: political repression, judicial manipulation, and human rights violations will not go unanswered.
Dakok reiterates its demand for the immediate release of Sherwan Sherwani and Omed Baroshki, and calls on the international community—especially democratic governments and rights-based institutions—to uphold their responsibilities in defending press freedom and human dignity in the Kurdistan Region and beyond.
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