Two people sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Kurdish activist Deniz Bülbün

A court in Erbil (Hewlêr) has sentenced Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Deniz Cevdet Bülbün, a member of the Kurdish National Congress (KNK), while the alleged instigator has not yet been arrested. The verdict was announced on Tuesday by the Erbil Criminal Court, which found the men guilty under the Kurdistan Region's 2014 Anti-Terrorism Law.

Deniz Cevdet Bülbün was killed in an armed attack on the KNK office in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, on September 18, 2023. The attack provoked indignation among Kurdish activists who accused the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and its security forces. The court has not yet arrested the accused of orchestrating the murder.

Hejar Kakeyî, the lawyer representing Bülbün's case, confirmed to Rojnews that although two people were convicted, the man accused of incitement is still at large. “The mastermind of this crime has not been arrested,” Kakeyî said, highlighting the unresolved aspects of the case.

The murder of Bülbün, who was known for his work in Kurdish cultural and linguistic education has exacerbated tensions within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Allegations Numerous reports have emerged accusing the KDP of failing to provide adequate security to Kurdish activists. The KNK leadership, including its co-chair Ahmed Karamus, demanded accountability and condemned the alleged involvement of KDP-controlled security forces.

The conviction of the two men, both Turkish citizens, comes in the context of broader demands justiceThe Kurdistan Regional Government continues to be under pressure from Kurdish groups and Bulbul's family to ensure a thorough investigation and arrest all those involved.