On Tuesday, December 2, KDP forces were deployed to the vicinity of the Lanaz Refinery in the Gwer district of Hewlêr (Erbil) following a protest on November 29, during which residents of the Lacan village, located about 20 kilometers west of the city center of Hewlêr, briefly blocked access to the refinery. They demanded that young people from the village be employed by the company. To end the protest, armed security forces from the KDP-affiliated company fired live ammunition at the demonstrators. Irfan Bahadîn Berzencî, 26, was fatally shot in the head. Three other people also suffered gunshot wounds.
The military presence in and around the village has since been massively expanded. Sources speak of heavily armed units that took up positions and put pressure on the population. Ultimately, most families left Lacan.
A number of people have been reported detained during the ongoing tensions in the area. According to Channel8 on Tuesday, security forces equipped with armored vehicles and Humvees have set up checkpoints in the village. In Xebat, KDP soldiers in civilian clothing are still on duty and are detaining individuals deemed suspicious. The Channel8 team covering the protests was attacked twice by security forces and had their equipment confiscated. The team from Sulaymaniyah-based NRT television was detained in Xebat and released after their equipment was confiscated.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Metro Center for the Protection of Journalists issued statements denouncing the attack by KDP forces on journalists.
In its statement, the CPJ expressed its concern about the KDP forces’ “ongoing obstruction of journalistic activities” and said the following: “Security forces attacked the Channel8 crew and detained a crew from NRT. They also prevented other media outlets from covering the protests. This behavior heightened the committee’s concerns. Journalists must be able to work freely, without harassment, intimidation, or interference, to uncover the truth.”
Metro Center Manager Rehman Xerîb expressed his concerns regarding the attack on journalists covering the events in Lacan, stating: “The attack on journalists in Hewlêr highlights that press freedom, media law, and freedom of expression in the Kurdistan Region do not meet international standards.”