Shaswar Abdulwahid, head of the New Generation Movement, has been arrested. According to the New Generation Movement, he was detained by a force belonging to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and taken to an unknown location.
Surah Abdulwahid, head of the New Generation parliamentary bloc in the Iraqi Parliament, stated: a PUK force detained Shaswar Abdulwahid, acting on orders from Bafel Talabani and in coordination with Masrour Barzani. She claimed they fear Shaswar Abdulwahid’s stance and the elections, which is why they arrested him.

A police spokesperson in Sulaimaniyah said that Shaswar Abdulwahid was arrested by Sulaimaniyah police and will be brought before a judge tomorrow.

• According to a statement from the Sulaimaniyah court, on 3 August 2025, Shaswar Abdulwahid was sentenced to six months in prison. The court ordered his arrest.

• Another statement, based on a complaint from a Sulaimaniyah security official, confirms there is an arrest warrant against him.

• Additionally, according to a complaint from former MP Shadi Newzad, he was sentenced to prison on charges of making threats, and the court requested his arrest.

According to Dreaw’s follow-up with the court, Shaswar Abdulwahid had several complaints filed against him and had been notified, but he failed to appear before the court. Therefore, he was sentenced in absentia on three charges, totaling approximately three years and six months in prison. He will be brought before a judge but must serve his sentence before being released.

In a video recording made before his arrest (and released after), Shaswar Abdulwahid says:

"Through some people, I learned there was an attempt to arrest me. What they want from me is because of one thing: I speak out. They told us, ‘Yes, you said they are thieves.’ When this video is released, I won’t know if I’ve been arrested, disappeared, or killed.
Their goal in arresting me is threefold: First, to stop me from managing the election campaign; second, to pressure me into surrendering; third, the PUK and KDP have agreed and are forming a government—they want to completely destroy my political movement.
I say this before God Almighty: they want to silence me, but I won’t do it. Whatever happens to me, even if they kill me in prison, don’t stay silent.

If what they say is true and they have any charges against me, let them try me in public court. If they have even a shred of honor and morality, and the courage, they should bring me openly before the people and try me in public."