On 17 February 2025, members and supporters of Dakok Organisation for Right and Freedom convened in Manchester to formally commemorate the victims of the 17 February 2011 protests in Sulaimaniya, Iraqi Kurdistan. The 2011 demonstrations—triggered by widespread public frustration with systemic corruption, entrenched nepotism, socio-economic inequality, and chronic deficiencies in public services—mobilised thousands of citizens, particularly youth, in a collective demand for political reform and governmental accountability.
During this year’s commemoration, Dakok observers documented covert monitoring and recording of participants carried out by members of the Iraqi Consulate staff. This video surveillance was reportedly conducted without prior notification or consent, and with no clarification regarding the storage, accessibility, or future use of the recorded material. Such opaque practices raise significant concerns regarding the safety, privacy, and potential exposure of Kurdish activists—especially those in the diaspora or with family ties in the Kurdistan Region—who may be vulnerable to political or security-related reprisals.
Why the 2011 Protest Remains Significant
- The demonstrations of 17 February 2011 began as a peaceful mobilisation of an estimated 3,000 people, many of them young activists, calling for an end to corruption, nepotism, and misgovernance in the Kurdistan Region.
- The protest escalated into violence when a segment of the crowd approached the local headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Security personnel stationed on the rooftop opened fire on demonstrators, resulting in the death of at least one protester—reportedly a teenager—and injuries to dozens more.
- The subsequent security crackdown, executed by official forces and affiliated armed groups, marked a decisive and repressive shift against peaceful dissent. In the aftermath, hundreds of protesters, journalists, and civil society actors were subjected to beatings, arbitrary detention, and confiscation of media equipment, as documented by multiple independent human rights organisations.
- These events left enduring social and political scars. Many families of those killed or injured continue to demand justice, transparency, and accountability—demands that remain largely unmet more than a decade later.
Dakok’s Position in 2025
By commemorating the martyrs of 2011 in Manchester, Dakok underscores that the pursuit of justice and democratic rights transcends territorial boundaries. The act of remembrance itself constitutes an assertion of historical memory, civic dignity, and continued resistance against repression—on behalf of those who were killed, injured, detained, or silenced.
However, the covert surveillance targeting participants at the 2025 commemoration reflects broader patterns of intimidation that threaten the rights of Kurdish activists both within the Kurdistan Region and abroad. Such practices represent an alarming encroachment on the principles of free expression, peaceful assembly, and the autonomy of civil society.
Dakok reiterates that, in the absence of clear procedural safeguards—including disclosure of who conducts recordings, where such data is stored, how long it is retained, and who may access it—diaspora activists remain at heightened risk of harassment, coercion, or other forms of retaliation.
A Call for International Oversight and Solidarity
- Dakok calls for full transparency from all diplomatic or consular personnel involved in the monitoring of public assemblies. This includes mandatory disclosure of the identity of those recording, data-storage procedures, access protocols, and the intended purpose of the surveillance.
- International human rights organisations, diaspora-rights networks, and civil liberties institutions are urged to monitor, document, and challenge such incidents of extraterritorial surveillance that endanger activists’ safety and undermine democratic participation.
- The legacy of the 2011 protests must remain a central pillar of collective memory. Families of victims retain the right to truth, accountability, and reparations. The international community must ensure that the demands for justice arising from the 2011 events are neither forgotten nor ignored.
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