Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian parties in Kurdistan Region of Iraq demand action on rights violations and electoral injustice

NOHADRA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — During a high-level meeting of the Athra Alliance — a joint political bloc formed by five Chaldea–Syriac–Assyrian political parties: Bethnahrin Patriotic Union (Huyodo Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA), the Assyrian Patriotic Party, Abnaa al-Nahrain, the Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa), and the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian Popular Council — held at the Zowaa headquarters in Nohadra (Duhok), Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), leaders discussed several crucial issues affecting their community. The agenda included national concerns of the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people and recent political and security developments in the region.

The five parties called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to fulfill its promises to address the violations in Nohadra Governorate and its rural areas. These violations have significantly altered the demographics and disrupted the national and religious identity of these regions.

The joint statement urged the federal government to halt the actions of certain groups, supported by militias, that are altering the demographic landscape of Mosul and Nineveh Plains.

Additionally, the statement condemned Turkey’s bringing conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to Iraqi soil, which has turned the region into a battleground for Turkish and PKK forces. The parties emphasized that Iraq should not be involved in this conflict.

The statement also called on residents of border villages to exercise caution, avoid remote mountainous areas, and adhere to safety measures. It urged both Baghdad and Erbil to prevent the forced evacuation of any villages and to resist any displacement of their inhabitants.

The five parties reiterated their previous decision to boycott the Kurdistan Regional Parliament elections due to perceived injustices against national minorities, particularly after the Federal Court’s decision to annul quota seats for these groups. They also announced plans to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the forced displacement and genocide perpetrated against the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people by Islamic State (ISIS).