June 4, 2025 – Manchester
During a peaceful demonstration organised by Dakok Organisation for Right and Freedom in front of the Iraqi Consulate in Manchester, serious concerns were raised after activists and members of Dakok were monitored and recorded by consulate staff from the first floor of the building.
The demonstration aimed to raise international awareness about human rights violations and the ongoing oppression of civilians and civil servants in the Kurdistan Region. It also called on the UK Government to take diplomatic action to support the Kurdish people, who continue to face economic hardship, political repression, and systematic discrimination.
However, instead of offering respect for peaceful assembly and free speech, staff within the Iraqi Consulate were seen observing, photographing, and filming protesters from the upper floors of the building—without any transparency or explanation.
“We came to speak out against injustice in our homeland, only to find ourselves being watched and recorded by the very government we are protesting against,” said one Dakok Member. “This behaviour is deeply alarming.”
Being monitored and recorded by agents of the Iraqi state, even while exercising their right to peaceful protest in the UK, raises serious safety concerns.
Not the First Time
This is not an isolated incident. A similar occurrence took place on November 14, 2024, during a previous Dakok-led protest in the same location. That event aimed to expose electoral fraud in the Kurdistan parliamentary elections held on October 20, 2024. At that time too, activists reported being filmed by consulate staff, but no formal explanation or accountability followed.
The lack of clarity around where these recordings are stored, who has access, and how they may be used leaves demonstrators vulnerable—especially given the political climate in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. There is a genuine risk that this footage could be shared with hostile actors, putting activists at risk of retaliation, harassment, or threats against their families.
A Call for Action and Accountability
Dakok strongly condemns the monitoring and filming of peaceful demonstrators by staff of the Iraqi Consulate in Manchester. We believe these actions are not only a violation of privacy and civil rights, but also undermine the democratic principles the UK stands for.
We urge human rights organisations, legal support networks, and the wider public to stand with us and demand accountability.
“Our voices will not be silenced,” reads a statement from Dakok. “We fled persecution to find safety—and we will continue to speak for justice, dignity, and freedom, here and everywhere.”
Dakok Organisation for Right and Freedom
