There has been no trace of Rojnews News Agency's Arabic editor Süleyman Ahmet for exactly 84 days. While returning to Southern Kurdistan from the city of Aleppo, where he went to visit his family, on October 25, Ahmet was held by units affiliated with the KDP at the Pêşxabûr (Sêmalka) Border Gate and was never heard from again.

 

Upon information that Ahmet was taken to the city of Duhok, his lawyers applied to the Duhok Public Order Office. Even though it was unofficially accepted that Ahmet was in their hands, he was not allowed to meet with his lawyers. Duhok Public Order, which had to make a statement 6 days later after the reactions, claimed that Ahmet was not in their hands, even though they accused him of "carrying out intelligence activities". Thereupon, the Duhok Judgeship, to which the application was made, decided that his lawyers could meet with Ahmet. With this decision, it was officially accepted that Süleyman Ahmet is held in custody. The lawyers, who went to the Duhok Public Order Office with the decision in hand, were not allowed to meet with Ahmet and were faced with attacks and threats that amounted to physical violence.

 

Continuing their investigation despite the attacks and threats, the lawyers learned that Ahmet is being held in one of the unofficial detention centers of Parastin, the intelligence agency of the KDP.

 

To date, no statement has been received about Ahmet from the KDP administration, to which professional journalism organizations and non-governmental organizations have called. Rojnews officials, whose editors want the public to be informed as soon as possible about Ahmet's situation, have applied to the United Nations (UN) in recent weeks.