Transcript:
On December 5, 2013 a group of men knock
on the door of a very humble house
in the town of Kalar, Slemani,
Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
A middle-aged woman opens the front door and greets them politely.
They tell her they have urgent business with her son, Kawa.
They tell her they have urgent business
with her son; Kawa.
She calls her son to come out, believing they
were some of her son's many friend.
Just as he come out to the front yard, the men start to open fire and
shoot Kawa dead in front of his mother.
Kawa Garmiyani
Born 1981 in Iran when his family was in exile.
He lost his father in the Anfal genocide.
He leaves school as a teenager before starting high school, to work and support his family.
He starts working in journalism in 2004.
He excels quickly and becomes an effective investigative journalist,
exposing corruption in his home town.
As editor-in-chief of Rayal magazine and reporter for prominent Awene news outlet, he becomes a thorn in the eye for corrupt party officials.
He gets sued and harassed countless times,
and receives numerous death threats.
Including by Mahmood Sangawi, member of PUK politburo and top a military leader.
Mahmood Sangawi: I am Mahmood Sangawi, son.
Is that Magazine yours?
Kawa Garmiyani: Yes.
Mahmood Sangawi: That picture of me… Who has published my picture on Facebook and in that magazine?
Kawa Garmiyani: I have it.
Mahmood Sangawi: Why haven’t you asked my permission before publishing my picture, son?
Kawa Garmiyani: The article is about you.
Mahmood Sangawi: The article is that I will fk the wife of the one [..]
I am coming to Garmiyan [region] now.
If the magazine is published tomorrow, I will fk you up, you son of a dog!
What right do you have to publish my picture, you degenerate son of a whore!
What right, ha? You don’t have the right.
Such level of insolence!
Shouldn’t you ask my permission, son?
Mahmood Sangawi: Mr. Sangawi, it’s inappropriate to use such language and insults.
I am coming to Garmiyan right now, I will fk you mother, you son of a bitch!
I will fk the mother of the one who told you to do such a thing as well.
Kawa Garmiyani: It’s really not nice to talk like that, Mr. Sangawi.
Qubad Talabani:
There are tyrants in this Kurdistan.
They steal land, build villas, do business, smuggle goods, kill people, kill journalist; they do countless wicked deeds.
But there hasn't been the needed
courage to stand up to them.
And you know who they are.
They are those who more than anyone else talk about corruption on TV on a daily basis.
They come on TV with their fully coloured hair.
Interjection: Mahmood Sangawi is one of those known for colouring his hair.
Mahmood Sangawi: Mr. Qubad talked about me, saying I colour my hair.
Qubad Talabani:
They conduct meetings and conferences to talk about corruption.
But they are more corrupt than any one else.
They gather a group of armed men around themselves; they extort money, threaten people, accuse people..
But when Kurdistan faces trouble, they play the hero…
when there is trouble, they abandon the battle fronts.
They leave their weapons and ammo behind on the field.
They run away trembling.
And the weapons and ammo they take with them, they sell it at black markets, then come on TV to talk about corruption.
Interjection:
But that was one year ago in 2017.
Qubad Talabani went on election campaign
with non other than Sangawi.
Shireen Ameen:
When Qubad Talabani visited our family, he told us that they would cut off the hand that murdered Kawa.
Two years has passed since his murder.
Where is that hand which was behind the Kawa’s murder?
Kawa Garmiyani:
A masked group of ten men attacked me.
I was under medical care for two days.
My rights have been violated 7 times, yet no court or authority has yet responded to my complaints.
I have made a legal complaint against him; he threatened me with death; threatened and insulted my parter.
The suspect that I have made legal complaint against has not yet appeared before a judge.
Thus I have decided to go on hunger strike from today.
My request is that the judicial system in this country to be independent.
Because of the corruption exposure we did in Kalar, they take us before a judge with our hands tied.
My magazine is seized; it is taken to the security headquarters.
No copies of the magazine is sold.
I have been immensely wronged in Garmiyan region.
I request this case to be investigated.
Interjection:
Amed
Kawa’s son.
Born 17 days after his father’s murder.