Anfragebeantwortung zum Irak: Informationen zum Tod des stellvertretenden Gouverneurs von Sulaimaniyya [Sulaimaniyah, Suleimaniyah, Sulaymaniyah, Slemani], Zama Hama Saleh [Salih] und zur Rolle von Hakem Kader (Hakim Qadir) [a-8194-2 (8195)]

30. November 2012
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Das private Online-Nachrichtenportal Kurd Net veröffentlicht im April 2012 mehrere Artikel zum Tod einer Person namens Zana Hama Salih, der stellvertretender Gouverneur des Bezirks Sulaimaniyah in der autonomen Region Kurdistan gewesen sei.
 
Die „Asayish“-Sicherheitskräfte hätten angegeben, dass sich Zana Hama Salih in seiner Gefängniszelle erhängt habe. Salih sei in Zusammenhang mit Artikel 307 des irakischen Strafgesetzes (Bestechung) verhaftet worden:
„Zana Hama Salih, deputy governor for the Sulaimaniyah district in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, ‘hanged himself this afternoon,’ in his jail cell, the Asayish internal security forces said in a statement. Salih was arrested under article 307 of the Iraqi penal code, which deals with bribery, the statement added.“ (Kurd Net, 15. April 2012)
In einem weiteren Artikel auf Kurd Net vom April 2012 wird Salih als Bürgermeister von Sulaimaniyah bezeichnet. Einige Personen würden den Tod Salihs als Selbstmord einstufen, andere als Mord. Salihs Ehefrau habe ihn am Tag seines Todes im Gefängnis besucht. Sie habe angegeben, er sei weit entfernt von Selbstmordabsichten in guter psychischer Verfassung gewesen. Er sei sehr optimistisch gewesen und habe ihr erzählt, dass er bald aus dem Gefängnis entlassen werde:
„The mayor of Sulaimaniyah died this week while in custody. Some say it was suicide, others murder. While investigations go on, locals are asking whether the mayor’s death will end the corruption case he was part of, or blow corrupt officialdom wide open. […]
Salih’s wife visited her husband in prison on the same day as his death. She said far from being suicidal, he was in good psychological health. ‘He was very optimistic and told me that he would be out of prison shortly,’ Salih’s wife told media a day after he died. Salih’s relatives also believe he was tortured in prison and that they saw signs of this on his corpse. Niqash viewed a video tape of the corpse made by forensic doctors but on the parts of Salih’s body that were visible in the film – face, shoulders, hands and some of his abdomen – there were no signs of torture visible.” (Kurd Net, 20. April 2012)
In einem weiteren Artikel vom April 2012 schreibt Kurd Net, dass der mutmaßliche Selbstmord des Bürgermeisters auch Zweifel aufkommen lasse, ob dieser nicht tatsächlich von anderen Beamten ermordet worden sei, die in Korruption verwickelt gewesen seien und befürchtet hätten, dass Hama Salih aussagen würde. Hama Salih sei angeklagt gewesen, Bestechungsgelder angenommen zu haben sowie illegal Grundstücke im Wert von etwa 250.000 Euro in Sulaimaniyah verkauft zu haben. Er sei am 8. April 2012 verhaftet worden. Die Opposition in Kurdistan vermute, dass es sich nicht um einen Selbstmord gehandelt habe und habe zu Ermittlungen aufgerufen:
„Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — Zana Hama Salih, mayor of Sulaimaniyah city, the Kurdistan Region’s second largest city, who was arrested by the Asayish (Kurdish security police) last week on corruption charges, died in prison in mysterious circumstances. Authorities said he committed suicide, as he waited for the day of his trial, by hanging himself. The alleged suicide of the mayor has now raised doubts that he was in fact murdered by other officials who may have been involved in the corruption and feared that Hama Salih might talk. Hama Salih was accused of accepting bribes, as well as the illegal selling of plots of land worth about 400 IQD ($325,000) in Sulaimaniyah. He was arrested on such charges on April 8. An attempt by the court to try him was blocked after relatives of the official gathered in front of the court and protested. He was then moved to Sulaimaniyah Asayish Directorate for investigation. […]
Following the incident, the opposition forces in Kurdistan quickly voiced their suspicion that the incident may not have been suicide and called for an investigation into the death.” (Kurd Net, 17. April 2012a)
Die Familie Salihs habe Stellungnahmen der Behörden zu einem Selbstmord Salihs zurückgewiesen und eine Untersuchung durch eine unabhängige Kommission gefordert, so Kurd net in einem weiteren Artikel:
„The family of Sulaimaniyah Mayor Zana Hama Salih, who died in prison last week, say they have buried him in Qrga Cemetery, east of the city. Hama Salih, who was taken into custody earlier this month on charges of corruption, was pronounced dead on April 14 by the Sulaimaniyah Security Department, who cited the death as a suicide. Hama Salih’s family dismisses the statement by city security officials and is demanding an open inquiry into the mayor’s death by an independent committee.” (Kurd Net, 17. April 2012b)
Hama Salih sei seit 2007 Bürgermeister von Sulaimaniyah und habe dieses Amt auch nach den Parlamentswahlen im Jahr 2009 weiter ausgeübt. Salih sei am 7. April 2012 verhaftet worden. Zana Hama Salih habe zugegeben Bestechungsgelder angenommen zu haben. Er habe jedoch darauf bestanden, dass die Haupttäter andere Regierungsbeamte seien, darunter der örtliche Vorsitzende der Patriotischen Union Kurdistans (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK) wie etwa der Bürgermeister [sic]:
„Zana Hama Salih, deputy governor for the Sulaimaniyah district in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, ‘hanged himself this afternoon,’ in his jail cell, the Asayish internal security forces said in a statement. […]
Hama Salih became mayor of Sulaimaniyah in 2007 and managed to stay in his post following the parliamentary elections of 2009 that led to a landslide victory by the Change Movement (Gorran), and despite initial rumors that he was a Gorran sympathizer. Zana was arrested on 7th April, accused of involvement in corrupt irregularities in the sale of agricultural land under Iraqi law article 307. It is estimated that $460 million has been stolen from the proceeds of local land sales to businesses and private companies since 2006. However, while Zana Hama Salih admitted taking bribes he maintained that the main culprits were other government officials including local Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leaders such as the mayor, Kurdistan Tribune reported.” (Kurd Net, 15. April 2012)
Im September 2012 berichtet Kurd Net, dass sechs Monate nach dem Tod des Bürgermeisters von Sulaimaniyah (Slemani) der Bürgermeisterposten weiterhin unbesetzt sei. Salih sei unter verdächtigen Umständen im Gefängnis verstorben. Nach Salihs Tod habe zunächst Hoshyar Mustafa das Bürgermeisteramt von Sulaimaniyah ausgeübt und darauf Awat Mohammed Ghafour, ein weiterer örtlicher Beamter:
„Nearly six months after the death of Slemani’s mayor, the seat remains vacant, though an acting mayor has been temporarily appointed. Mayor Zana Hama Salih died earlier this year in a security prison in Slemani [Sulaimaniyah] under suspicious circumstances. He was being held for alleged involvement in a nearly half-billion dollar corruption case and died while in prison. Authorities said he hanged himself, but family members strongly suspect he was murdered. […]
For a month after Salih’s death, Hoshyar Mustafa, the director of the neighboring Arbat district, served as Slemani’s mayor. He was replaced by Awat Mohammed Ghafour, another local official.” (Kurd Net, 3. September 2012)
Laut einem Artikel von The Kurdistan Tribune vom April 2012 sei der Tod in Haft von Zana Hama Salih in den Augen der meisten BewohnerInnen Sulaymaniahs „höchst verdächtig“. Der Tod Salihs sei Ergebnis der institutionellen Korruption in Sulaymaniah und der „mafiösen Administration“:
„In the eyes of most Sulaymani residents, Zana Hama Salih’s death in custody is highly suspicious. The mayor was visited by his wife, who was with him until Saturday afternoon. She thought he was in a good mood and he told her that he expected to be released the next day. A few hours later, however, she had a phone call informing her that her husband had hanged himself. This tragedy has touched many hearts. Zana’s death is a product of Sulaymani’s institutional corruption and mafia-style administration. People are asking: what if the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) ran the whole of Kurdistan? What would that look like?” (The Kurdistan Tribune, 17. April 2012)
Informationen zu Hakem Kader (Hakim Qadir Hama Jan, Qadir Hamajan, Qadir Hama Jan Aziz, Kadir Hamajan) im Zusammenhang mit dem Tod von Zana Hama Saleh
Die Website Insight Iraqi Kurdistan veröffentlicht im November 2012 einen Artikel, dem zufolge ein außergewöhnliches Korruptionsverfahren eingestellt worden sei und die letzten drei Verdächtigen freigelassen worden seien. Der Hauptverdächtige in diesem Fall sei der ehemalige Bürgermeister von Sulaymaniyah, Zana Muhammad Salih, gewesen, der am 14. April 2012 sechs Tage nach seiner Verhaftung unter mysteriösen Umständen gestorben sei. Der ehemalige Vorsitzende der Gemeinde Sulaymaniyah und Mitglied des politischen Büros der Patriotischen Union Kurdistans, Qadir Hamajan, sei während der Ermittlungen ebenso vor Gericht erschienen. Hamajan sei der Vorsitzende des Sicherheitsdirektorats von Sulaymaniyah gewesen, wo Salih bei seinem Tod inhaftiert gewesen sei:
„A court in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah has closed an extraordinary corruption case and released the last three suspects connected to it. The key suspect in the case was former mayor of Sulaymaniyah Zana Muhammad Salih, who died on 14 April in mysterious circumstances six days after his arrest in a prison run by the security forces. Local media reported at the time that the suspects in the case had illegally gained around 450,000 dollars through selling some 2,000 hectares of public land on the outskirts of the city between 2006 and 2010. […]
The former head of the Sulaymaniyah municipality and Political Bureau member of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Qadir Hamajan, appeared in court as part of the investigations. Hamajan was also the head of the Sulaymaniyah Security Directorate, where Salih was detained, at the time of the latter’s death.” (Insight Iraqi Kurdistan, 19. November 2012)
Auf der Website der Patriotischen Union Kurdistans (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK) wird erwähnt, dass Qadir Hama Jan Aziz (auch bekannt als Hakm Qadir) zwischen 1999 und 2001 Gouverneur von Sulaimaniyah gewesen sei:
„Name: Qadir Hama Jan Aziz. Known as (Hakm Qadir) […]
He was the Governor of Sulaimaniyah from 1999 – 2001.” (PUK, ohne Datum)
Laut einem Artikel auf der Website des Beratungsunternehmens Horizon vom Juli 2012 sei Hakim Qadir Hama Jan Direktor des Exekutivkomitees der PUK und in der Vergangenheit der Gouverneur von Suleimaniyah gewesen:
„On 6 July 2012, Hakim Qadir Hama Jan, the director of the executive committee of President Jalal Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), spoke publicly on the unity of the Kurdish political bloc. Jan is a prominent political figure and a close associate of Talabani, and in the past has served as governor of Suleimaniyah. His comments are an indication that the Kurdish leadership is increasingly concerned about internal cohesion.” (Horizon, 9. Juli 2012)
Ein Grundstückshändler, Hussein Hama Ali, der mutmaßlich gegen den Bürgermeister von Sulaimaniyah in einem Korruptionsverfahren ausgesagt habe, sei laut Angaben dessen Bruders von den Behörden gefoltert worden, schreibt Kurd Net im Mai 2012. Laut Angaben des Bruders habe der Sicherheitschef von Sulaimaniyah, Hakim Qadir Hama Jan, mit Hama Ali „persönliche Rechnungen beglichen“:
„A land dealer who allegedly testified against the mayor of Sulaimaniyah in a corruption case was tortured by authorities, says the man’s brother, Rudaw.net reported. Hussein Hama Ali was summoned to the local security office in Sulaimaniyah on March 27 to testify in a case that involved Mayor Zana Hama Salih. Ali was held in the prison of Sulaimaniyah’s security forces, Asayish, after making his statements. Hussein’s brother, Omar Hama Ali, says the testimony was given under torture. Mayor Salih died in uncertain circumstances at an Asayish prison in Sulaimaniyah in mid-April. […]
Omar says the chief of security in Sulaimaniyah, Hakim Qadir Hama Jan, settled personal scores with his brother.”(Kurd Net, 3. Mai 2012)
Die Zeitung The Kurdistan Tribune berichtet im Oktober 2012, dass Kadir Hamajan, der Direktor des Sicherheitsbüros von Sulaymaniyah und Mitglied des Politbüros der PUK in Zusammenhang mit dem Tod von Zana Hama Salih vor Gericht ausgesagt habe. Die Ehefrau Salihs habe lokalen Nachrichtenagenturen erzählt, dass ihr Ehemann vor seinem Tod von Hamajan eingeschüchtert und angegriffen worden sei. Hamajan habe laut der Ehefrau zu Salih gesagt, dass er die „gesamte Korruption gestehen“ müsse. Hamajan habe Salih benutzt, um „seinen Hals zu retten“, so die Ehefrau weiter:
„For the last two weeks the trial of those accused of land corruption in the area in Qualraisi has been underway. Last week Kadir Hamajan – director of the Sulaymani security office and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) politburo member – gave his evidence to the court. This has provoked an outcry from relatives of the accused. The widow of former Mayor Zana Hama Salih – who was found dead in his cell, in suspicious circumstances, in April – told local news agencies that Hamajan had subjected her husband to intimidation and assault before he died. She said Harmajan told her husband: ‘You have to admit to all the corruption’. ‘Basically he (Harmajan) used him to save his own and other peoples’ necks’, she added.” (The Kurdistan Tribune, 29. Oktober 2012)
Laut einem Artikel auf Kurd net vom November 2012 seien nach einem TV-Interview mit Hakim Qadir Diskussionen über den Fall Zana Hama Salih neu entfacht worden:
„Speaking to a local TV channel, the former director of Sulaimaniyah’s security department (Asayish) [Hakim Qadir] reopened discussions about the case of the city’s former mayor, Zana Hama Salih.” (Kurd Net, 10. November 2012) 
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