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February 26, 2008
News
Masrour Barzani Attacked Dr. Kamal Sayid Qadir in Austria
Kurdishaspect.com
It had been reported that Masrour Barzani the son of President Massoud
Barzani and five of his bodyguards were arrested by Austrian police for attacking the Human Rights Activist Dr. Kamal Sayid Qadir.
Kurdish Aspect has been trying to reach Dr. Kamal to confirm the validity of this story. Today Dr. Kamal informed Kurdish Aspect, only an hour after he had been released from , the hospital.
This is the actual account of the event in Dr.Kamal‘s own words.
“On Feb. 19, between 3-4 pm, I returned from the library of the Vienna Law School, while I was making my way home in centre of Vienna, I saw Masrour Barzani accompanied by a body guard, I simply ignored them, but as I turned back, I saw how Masrour was talking to his body guard appointing on me, then I remembered their threats in Kurdistan, immediately after my release, Apr. 2006, namely to kill me in Vienna, if I continued writing against them. After this, I immediately called the police and followed them. I asked Masrour, what do you want from me? He told me: you are still insulting us! I asked him, why did you torture me in Arbil? He simply lost his nerves and ordered his body guard to silence me. The body guard heavily attacked me and I tried to defend myself, but in vain, since I very soon fall on the ground, then Masrour gave me a hit with his foot directly on my face, that is why I suffered broken bones in the face and the bodyguard hit me on the head only. I am now only able to move with a special device and have to attend a hospital tomorrow again for further treatment. The bodyguard was arrested immediately on the scene, but Masrour escaped on his feet by running away. The police started a search for Masrour Barzani, and I do not know what has happened after this, but very soon I will be interrogated by police and my lawyer will know more about it. I have full trust in Austrian justice system, and I am sure the justice will prevail and the rule of law will make no difference between a journalist and a ruler“.
Dr. Kamal was arrested in October 2005 for writing articles criticizing Kurdistan president Massoud Barzani. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for the crime of defaming the Kurdish cause. The sentence was widely condemned by Amnesty International, Reporters without Borders and media. He was released from custody on January 25, 2006.
Masrour Barzani is the director of the Intelligence and Security Agency of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq and a high-ranking member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
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